


Into The Ground

by Daxmvarg



Series: Fire Emblem Fates: A Tale of Two Royals [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canon Characters Do Die, F/M, graphic description of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 16:04:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 136,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daxmvarg/pseuds/Daxmvarg
Summary: Fun fact, this chapter is over 27 thousand words long and took up over 100 KB on my flashdrive. Therefore, I didn't even bother proofreading this. I hope you understand.





	1. Chapter 1

_Seven months..._

It took Corrin, Azura Xander, and Ryoma nearly  _seven whole months_ _,_  to make preparations for their invasion into Valla. On one hand, Corrin was glad for the delay. It gave the army and himself more time to prepare for the final battle, and it allowed him to make amends to both Hoshido and Nohr, as well as giving him the opportunity to help Nestra with their rebuilding, though there would undoubtedly still be weeks, if not months, of reparations and formal apologies to completely erase the scars of the war.  Best of all however , for  _seven months_ _,_  he was able to have Azura all to himself, and he could tell she felt the same way.

On the other hand, as the preparations came to a close, Azura found herself growing tenser and more nervous with each passing day. Rare was the times where she found herself able to easily fall asleep and not have to worry about...well, anything, really. It was during these moments where Corrin was the most helpful and endearing. No matter how often Azura found herself pacing the length of her tent, or how often she tossed and turned fitfully, Corrin was  _always_  there for her. On one hand, she enjoyed his company. On the other, she couldn't help but feel as if she was leading Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, and the rest of her siblings into a trap, despite their reassurances that they trust her wholeheartedly.

Of course, there always was the fear of Anankos and his undead armies. Corrin and Azura often spent many hours at night by the lake, discussing their strategies and plans for the upcoming battles. Even Corrin, despite his tender words and warm caresses, could do little to dissuade Azura from her worries and fears. However, as time passed, Azura started to find comfort within Corrin's constant reassurances for the future, and, of course, his warm warms and gentle embraces.

And eventually, his lips.

* * *

"Corrin. Corrin!"

Corrin turned around from where he was standing on a ledge of rock jutting over the sea of tents that housed the soldiers of Hoshido and Nohr to see Xander, Ryoma, and Scarlet running up to him.

"Corrin!" Ryoma called again. "The skies above Hoshido and Nohr are changing." As if on cue, a thunderous bolt of lightning struck the ground, despite the gray sky being relatively cloudless. In an instant, the sky darkened, though a bright yellow light continued to shine from where the sun was setting.

"It seems the time has come," Xander said drily. "Corrin, what's your plan now?"

Corrin shared a meaningful glance at Azura, who nodded back in return. Pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes to gather his thoughts, Corrin asked, "Xander, Ryoma...do the two of you trust me?"

"Of course!" Xander said, looking confused.

Ryoma responded similarly. "If we had never trusted you, then why would we be here now on your request?" he added in his deep voice.

Corrin sighed and looked away from them. "Get everyone to meet me on the bridge over The Bottomless Canyon," he said. "There's...something I need to clear up before we commence this whole operation."

"Over The Bottomless Canyon?" Xander asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be safer for everyone if we were meet on solid ground?"

"No, if we're going to take our enemies by surprise, then we'll need to do this over the chasm," Corrin said, shaking his head. "Trust me, I know how on edge you can feel, but if everything goes according to plan, then we won't be standing over it for very long," he added, purposely being vague.

Xander, Scarlet, and Ryoma all shared a look of confusion before nodding solemnly. The two royals turned and walked back into the sea of tents, with Scarlet following closely behind Ryoma. As Corrin watched the trio disappear, he sighed and turned back around to gaze over the landscape. Both armies had been camping next to the cliff for almost three months now, and everybody was tired of living in such an inhospitable place. Despite Ryoma and Xander declaring that both nations are under a truce, tensions still ran high between both armies.

"Corrin?"

Corrin flinched instinctively and reached for Yato as he felt a cool hand rest upon his cheek. Just as quickly as he reacted, however, he relaxed, realizing it was Azura who had cupped his cheek in her palm. She tilted her head and looked at him in the eyes, her own golden eyes full of concern and worry under the darkened sky.

"Corrin, what's wrong?" she asked, not bothering to hide the concern in her normally emotionless tone.

"Nothing's wrong," he lied, turng his head to gaze back out over the sea of tents.

Azura frowned. Corrin courting her had opened up a new…perspective on things. She had always picked up on his idiosyncratic tendencies and mannerisms, but being so  _close_  with him these last few months, despite them doing nothing more than sharing a few kisses and holding hands allowed her to see Corrin more than as a man she loved, but as a man she understood and knew with all her heart.

" _Corrin_ ," she said again, her harsher tone filled with the underlying message of  _Don't you dare lie to me right now._ "What's wrong?"

Corrin sighed. "I was just thinking about what's going to happen once we cross over into Va-"

Azura immediately clamped her hand over Corrin's mouth, silencing him. Corrin widened his eyes in surprise for a moment before realizing his error and gently lowering Azura's hand from his mouth.

"Sorry," he apologized, wrapping his warm  fingers around her slender ones. "It slipped my mind for a second that we can't talk about that place, even when we're so close."

Azura said nothing but twisted her arm around his so that she was hugging him from behind, her arms resting across his chest and her chin resting on his shoulder. Other than that, however, she remained silent, waiting for Corrin to continue on with his statement, which he did.

"All I was worried about was that...once we're in, we can't come back out, can we?" Corrin asked. "Becuase if that's the case, the instant we cross into Va-that place, then either we push on and stick it through to the end, or we all die down there."

Azura nodded, her hair ticking his cheek.

Corrin silently cursed, though he knew the answer himself already. Anankos had cast a curse that prevented all but the Vallites from escaping Valla, and even then, Vallites could only do so if they had a large enough source of water. That meant that once they were in Valla, they would be unable to travel back to the astral plane for supplies, which by extension meant they had no real physical contact with the rest of the world. And that bothered him. Immensely.

 

"Corrin?" Azura asked quizzingly.

Corrin shook his headm realizing that he had drifted off again. "S-sorry," he apologized. "I was just worrying again about something."

"What?" Azura asked, pressing her chest even closer to Corrin's back.

He could feel the curves of her chest pushing themselves into his back as she breathed, but even with her so close, he remained silent. Azura frowned at his maintained silence and gently pinched him in a pointed ear, forgetting for a moment how sensitive his ears were compared to hers.

 

"Ow!" he said, pullling away from her and rubbing his throbbing ear tenderly. "What was that for?"

"Sorry," Azura said, abashedly turning her face away from him. "I-I forgot your ears were more sensitive than mine. But I just wanted to know."

"Know what?"

Azura looked at him again. "I want to know what you're still worried about. You and Leo have already drawn up plans and contingencies for almost every situation Anankos could throw at us, and I've told you that I'm willing to give my life away for you and your task, so what are you still worried about?"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Corrin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Azura, I know that this is your fight and burden more than any of us, but…but I can't stand the thought of you being hurt while in Anankos' domain."

Azura said nothing but continued to stare at Corrin, her stoic expression threatening to crumble.

"Azura, you mean…so,  _so_ much to me, and I know you hate me placing your needs over that of this damnable war…but if you were to get hurt while fighting at my side…" Corrin shook his head and shrugged, a sign that he had come upon a consequence even he couldn't wrap his head around. "I-I don't know what I would do..."

The sudden purpose in Azura's eyes was all the warning he got before she pulled him close to her and clamped her lips over his. He froze in surprise for a moment, before deepening it, fisting her hair in his hand and wrapping his other hand around her waist to pull her closer. Guided by her hand, she stepped even closer to him, her legs intertwined with his as they continued. Finally, when her need for breath outweighed her need to make her feelings clear for Corrin, Azura broke off, her face flushed and breathing heavily. She felt a bit lightheaded, but in this circumstance, she would sacrifice anything to soothe Corrin's fears.

"Corrin, I've always loved you in a way nobody else could bring out from within me, and I believe that we will save this world, but only if we work together," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I will  _always_  be by your side, no matter what happens, I promise. If we are to die fighting Anankos, I would like nothing other than being with you in those final moments," Azura whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, even with his dragon-like hearing.

Corrin did not reply but looked away from her, his long white hair obscuring his eyes. Even so, Azura could still sense the amount of raw anguish and regret within those red eyes. Azura gently leaned into Corrin again as his hand automatically wrapped around her waist, pulling Azura closer towards him. Azura placed her head on Corrin's chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. The two remained that way for several moments before Corrin finally spoke.

"Azura…" he muttered. Azura lifted her head from Corrin's chest as she looked at him quizzingly. Corrin reluctantly looked at her, his red eyes suspiciously bright under the darkening sky.

"Azura, you are the most important thing in my life right now, and I couldn't bear to see you hurt. But I simply  _can't_  let you go," Corrin said. Azura opened her mouth to voice her objections, but before she could utter a word, Corrin hastily placed a finger on her lips.

"But I also know that I can't stop you, and that you won't let me stop you," he said. "So all I'm asking you is that if you have to retreat, retreat without worrying about the rest of us, promise?"

Azura paused for a moment, thinking, before replying. "I promise to keep myself out of danger, but only if  _you_  promise that you won't put yourself in danger."

Corrin's brow furrowed as he opened his mouth to reply. "Azura! You know that as the leader of this army, I have to put myself on the front lines, if only to boost morale, if nothing less!" he objected.

Azura pushed herself away from and placed her hands on his lips as she glared at him sternly. "Promise?" she said.

Corrin sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "F-fine. I promise to keep myself out of harm's way, if I can help it."

"And that you won't engage Anankos by yourself."

"And that I won't fight Anankos by myself," Corrin repeated dully. Azura nodded.

"You may be armed with a legendary weapon, but that doesn't mean that you can solo a dragon god, at least, not without your allies by your side," she said. Corrin said nothing but turned back to The Bottomless Canyon, watching as the army gathered by the bridges.

"We'd better head over there. This'll be the only chance we may have in our lives," Azura said as she sidled up behind him. Corrin nodded and took off at a brisk pace, Azura following closely behind.

As they pushed their way through the crowd of soldiers, many of whom inclined their head respectfully, Ryoma and Xander both turned to look at them as Scarlet elbowed Takumi playfully in the ribs. Gunter did not react, besides the scar on his face deepening, making him look more dangerous and world-weary than before.

"As you have requested, little prince, we've gathered everybody here. What do we do now?" Xander said. Corrin said nothing but walked to the edge of the bridge so that an arc of people formed around him.

As he looked at the surrounding people, it occurred to him that after this week, he might never see some of them again. Taking a breath to calm himself, he replied, "Well…now we jump off this bridge. We have to reach the bottom to continue."

Skeptically, Takumi called out, "Corrin, it's called The Bottomless Canyon. By definition, we  _can't_  reach the bottom. You're asking to kill ourselves?"

Within himself, Corrin cringed. This was probably the most difficult part about invading Valla, besides combining Hoshido and Nohr together. He often thought of ways to convince everybody to follow him off the bridge, but no matter what he said in his mind, he couldn't seem to convince everybody.

"Lord Corrin, you were prepared for them to doubt you, yes?" Gunter asked. Corrin kicked him mentally. He had forgotten that besides Felicia, Jakob, Azura, and himself, Gunter was the only one present who knew the truth of what he was saying.

"Y-yes, Gunter I was prepared for this," Corrin lied. In his mind, Corrin realized that there was still a card that he could play. Said card would definitely lead to his death, but if it was the only way to convince everybody, he would take it without hesitation.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to tell you the whole truth up until now, but I'm certain that you'll be willing to jump once you know why I've been fighting," Corrin said. Azura's eyes widened as she heard Corrin. She desperately pushed past the people in front of her.

"Corrin! What are you saying? You  _can't_  tell them everything here. If you do the curse-"

"Wait, what curse? What is this curse that Azura is speaking of, little prince," Xander interrupted.

Corrin sighed. "If I speak the truth here, and not down below, a curse will trigger and I'll…die, for lack of a better term, I guess."

" _You guess?"_  Leo said with exasperation. "For the love of the gods what are you talking about?"

Ignoring him, Corrin continued on. "But if that's the only way to convince everybody to jump, then I'll have to do it here. Xander, Ryoma, Azura…" As he mentioned each of their names, they each flinched. Azura placed her hand over her mouth in horror. Xander's brow furrowed and Ryoma gripped the hilt of Rajinto so tightly, it squeaked.

"I'm counting on you three to finish what I've started once I'm gone," Corrin finished. Azura said nothing but rushed up to him and threw her arms around him. Ryoma and Xander both slowly nodded.

"I understand what you ask of us, but I refuse," Ryoma said.

"Likewise. How can you possibly expect us to agree to that?" Xander added on.

Corrin stared at his two brothers in confusion. "B-but why?" he stammered. "F-for everything we've been through together, do the two of you refuse to trust me still?"

The silence and tension in the air was palpable. Sakura silently cried into Elise's hair, who seemed not to notice as she stared at her big brother, her mouth open in shock. Leo took a sudden interest in his boots. Takumi fidgeted with the knot in his belt. Finally, it was Scarlet who spoke up.

Laughing, she walked up to Corrin and slugged him in the arm. "Ya big goofball. Can you really not figure out what your family is trying to tell you? They want you to  _order_  them to jump off this bridge, not ask nicely."

Corrin stared at her, rubbing his arm. "W-what do you mean?"

"Corrin. Listen to us. You've earned out trust long ago, and we've decided to trust you, no matter what. Now, you need to trust us; trust that we, your family, will follow your orders, no matter how preposterous they may seem," Ryoma said. Besides him, Xander nodded.

"Exactly. If we had doubted you for even a second, Corrin, we would have never come here to begin with," he added on.

"You're my little brother, Corrin," Camilla said. "We wouldn't turn our backs on you, especially now."

Corrin simply stood there, staring at his siblings. "Y-you…"

In his arms, Azura suddenly stiffened and backed away, her eyes wide in fear. "Corrin, we need to hurry. I sense something…strange from below us." Corrin shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"I understand," Corrin said, nodding. "It's time to make your choice!" he suddenly shouted, tearing Yato from its sheath and pointing it towards the edge. "Everybody, jump off the bridge and down into the canyon! This is the path to peace, and the first step towards achieving peace between Hoshido and Nohr!"

Leo and Takumi both gave their own shouts of approval. Ryoma and Xander nodded and placed a hand on both of Corrin's shoulders before leaping off. Azura planted a quick kiss on his cheek before turning and hurling herself off the platform. Soon, only Scarlet and Corrin were left on the bridge. Scarlet muttered to herself as she tried to fasten something to her breastplate.

Sheathing Yato, Corrin turned to her. "What's that? What are you doing, Scarlet?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just an old Chevois custom. Whenever one of us faces some huge, monumental event, its tradition to pin on a flower," she explained. "You're a special bud, Lord Corrin. Getting everybody to follow you is quite something, but not as special as Lord Ryoma!" she exclaimed before teasingly patting his cheek and jumping off the bridge. Corrin looked after her with a look of confusion on his face before shaking his head and following her off the bridge.

* * *

Unlike his first time entering Valla this way, this time, he knew what was going to happen. The first time, he had panicked; screaming as he flailed his arms and legs around as Azura looked back at him, amusement faint upon her face. This time, he knew what would happen. Corrin looked up, the narrow bridge he had stood on just a few seconds before was nothing more than a small speck of black against the darkening sky. Corrin noted in the back of his mind that the chasm looked less and less like ravine, but more and more like that of a dragon's jaws.

In the corner of his vision, a black figure separated itself from the cliff shadows and glided towards him. Suddenly, a booming voice echoed all around him.

" _I AM THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON,_ " the voice boomed. " _THE BETRAYED KING. THE ENTOMBED GOD."_

The figure reached out with a hand, a purple flame accruing in its palm. " _IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU…TO DEATH!"_  The figure cast back its arm and hurled the flame at Corrin. The ball of fire hit him squarely in the chest, throwing him back and nearly onto the cliff wall.

Corrin's dragon wings shifted out of his back and propelled him away from the wall. Corrin's eyes widen as he realized that the purple fire was slowly spreading across his body. He desperately tried to pat down the flames. Eventually, the fire died out, though it left behind an acrid scent.

_Who the hell was that? That didn't happen the first time? And how did he say Valla's name without dying?_  Corrin wondered. Corrin looked around him for the shadowy figure, so that he could defend himself from further attacks. Suddenly, a purple light appeared below him. Corrin turned to see that the shadowy figure had drawn a sword made of the same purple flames that it had thrown at him.

The shadowy figure pointed the tip of the sword at Corrin and cast its arm back in preparation for an upward slash. Corrin knew deep within him that the blow would connect, and the image of Azura's face smiling flashed through his mind before a hand wrapped around his arm.

"Corrin! Watch out!" Scarlet shouted as she flung him above her. Scarlet's eyes widened a split second before the ethereal sword slashed her from shoulder to hip. She knew the wound was immediately fatal.

The flower she had pinned on just a few seconds ago burst into purple flames as the shadowy figure disappeared. Above her, Corrin yelled her name and reached out towards her with a single hand. None of that mattered now, though. Everything was slowly turning gray…slowly turning black…

" _Scarlet! No!"_  Corrin screamed. Blood splashed onto his face and limbs as they continued to fall.  _Scarlet's_  blood. The figure suddenly vanished, as Corrin transformed his left arm into a dragon mouth and shot a ball of boiling water at it. Below him, a white light slowly grew in size and intensity

The water flew past the void where the figure had just occupied and splashed against the ravine's wall. Corrin twisted to avoid the searing water as he continued to hurl towards the light. To his right, Scarlet continued to fall silently, her eyes still open as she gazed into some unknowable land. On her chest, nothing remained of the flower but a shriveled black stem, which quickly turned into ash and was whisked away by the winds.

_Scarlet…_

He had never known her that well, but Corrin cared deeply for all of his allies, whether or not they hated him or not. To lose somebody so early, it was beyond cruel.

The light below him grew brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

Corrin groaned as he tried to sit up. This was the second time he had ever traveled to Valla using the " _jump off of a bridge and hope the canyon wall doesn't kill you"_ method. Every other time he traveled here, he had Azura create that portal thing in the water and used that instead. Sure, the portal method was definitely a lot shorter but a lot more jarring, but Corrin would have taken that over using the cliff method. Corrin tried to stand up but ended back up on his knees, the world swirling crazily around him. In the corner of his vision, he thought he saw a flash of red armor. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized who it was.

"Scarlet?" he asked, the small flicker of hope in his voice dying when she did not respond. Crawling over to her, he held her in his arms as he desperately tried to find a pulse on her neck.

"No! This can't be happening! Answer me, Scarlet!" Corrin shouted desperately. "You can't die, not now! Don't you dare give up on me and Ryoma!" Corrin sat there numbly, waiting for her to respond, or move, or give any indication that she was still alive and well.

She did not answer

Corrin collapsed, Scarlet's body falling to the floor with a rough crash as she rolled off of Corrin's arms and legs. Corrin stared at his hands, still wet from Scarlet's blood when she took the hit that was meant for him.

_Oh gods, that was meant for me! If she hadn't…_

The dragon within him threatened to rise again, the same way it had when his mother died, but Corrin stubbornly pushed it back, his dragonstone helping to quench some of the dragon's rage. Now wasn't the time for him to lose his head at the death of an ally.

_No._ Not just an ally, but a friend.

In his heart, Corrin knew that they were in the middle of a war. Death was unavoidable. Friendships would fall apart. Longtime allies could be killed in the blink of an eye, but he didn't think it would happen so soon.

"Oh, Scarlet…What am I going to tell Ryoma?" Corrin muttered to himself, a single stream of tears flowing over his cheeks..

He just as quickly wiped it away and silenced himself. It would not do for him to be crying and bawling in the middle of a forest. His hands shaking, Corrin reached up to Scarlet's face and closed her eyes and placed her hands over her chest, so that it looked as if she were sleeping.

"I'll kill Anankos myself if I have to, I swear it," Corrin muttered, his fists clenched. Corrin closed his eyes and turned away from the sight of his friend.

"Goodbye...Scarlet..." he whispered, before walking away.

Corrin wasn't sure how long he had been walking until he heard a scream echoing in the distance. Corrin instantly drew Yato from its sheath up as he looked around, trying to find out where the sound came from. Red eyes were cast around the area, searching for potential dangers and enemies, as well as just trying to take in the surroundings. He was in a forest clearing, with a giant stone statue to the right. Despite the constant light in Valla, there was no sun, which meant it was near impossible for him to determine where North or South was. Set in the ground around the statue were six circular pads.

Corrin warily approached the pads. He had fell for his own share of traps before. For some reason, he felt a certain resonance from with those pads, so he picked up a nearby stone with odd blue and red markings on it and threw it into the pad closest to him. With a flash of light, it disappeared. A rock suddenly fell from above and came to a stop in front of Corrin. Picking up the rock, Corrin turned it over, revealing the exact same markings as before.

_So these pads have some sort of teleportation spell on them..._

It was at that moment that two Vallite archers sidled up from behind a tree and pointed their arrows straight at him. Corrin froze mid-step as he put his hands up, though he knew, judging from their blank stares, that mercy wasn't an option here. For a moment, neither party moved, both wary of what the other party would do.

Corrin subtly slid his hand into his tunic, trying to reach for his dragonstone. The archer on the left rotated his foot, the dirt scraping underneath its boots. The archer on the right readjusted his grip on the arrow he held in his left hand. They continued to stare at each other, neither party moving.

Suddenly, an arm appeared around one of the archer's neck, yanking him backwards, and the archer opened his mouth in a silent scream as a sword blade erupted from his chest. It wasn't just any sword though, it was…

"Xander!"

At the same time, a flash of lightning sounded and the second archer fell to the ground, blackened. The smell of burnt flesh pervaded the courtyard.

"Ryoma?" he asked. Xander and Ryoma, for of course it was they, stepped over the bodies of the two archers. Corrin noticed that Ryoma had a nasty cut running across his cheek, and that his nose was bleeding

"Don't let your guard down, Corrin!" Ryoma shouted as he prepared Raijinto in preparation for another enemy.

"More are coming," Xander said as he pointed Siegfried at something behind Corrin. Out of the trees burst two more Vallites, axes in hand as they charged towards the trio.

Ryoma and Xander both readied their respective weapons and Corrin twirled Yato in preparation for combat. Suddenly, Gunter rode onto the scene, a scowl on his scar-ridden face as he impaled a berserker mid-air with his lance. Azura jumped, pirouetted, and speared the other berserker with her naginta.

"Azura! Gunter! You all made it!" Corrin exclaimed, smiling. Gunter said nothing but nodded as he patted his horse. Azura ran up towards Corrin.

"Thank goodness!" Azura said. "I'm glad to see you safe!"

"Azura! Are you hurt?" Corrin responded. Before the two could so much as embrace, Xander raised his sword pointed towards some faraway point.

"Xand-?"

There, in the distance, standing upon a hill, stood a single figure. As they watched, the figure raised his arms and cast a spell towards them. Without thinking, Corrin grabbed Azura and hurled her off to the side, shielding her body with his own in case the spell was dangerous. Xander and Ryoma did the same. As the orb approached them, it split into six parts, each landing in a different area. As Corrin and Azura watched, a Vallite appeared where each orb landed, drawing their weapons and fixing them with a blank stare as they stalked towards them.

"That mage must be the one summoning all of these enemies," Azura shouted from underneath Corrin's body. Corrin said nothing but releases Azura as he readied Yato for battle.

"Then we fight through them and kill him," Xander said. Ryoma nodded gravely beside him.

Ryoma charged at the Vallite closest to him, shouting a warcry as he did so. Xander readied his sword in a defensive stance as he edged closer towards the Vallite, who in turn edged away from him. Gunter's charger reared and pawed the ground as Gunter leveled his lance towards the two Vallites in front of him. The remaining two Vallites turned their gazes upon Corrin and Azura, drawing their swords as they stalked towards them.

"Azura, get behind me," Corrin ordered.

"But, Corrin! I can-"

"Get behind me," Corrin repeated, his voice steely calm and level. Azura hastily obeyed. Whenever Corrin got that steely edge in his tone, it probably meant he was deadly focused.

Corrin let out a roar and stabbed with Yato. The Vallite tried to avoid the move, but was too slow and fell with a dull thud as Corrin pulled out Yato from its gut. Corrin then turned on the last remaining Vallite, who was trying to edge around him to get at Azura. Corrin did not hesitate when he transformed his free hand into a spear-like appendage and impaling the Vallite through the chest. The Vallite silently crumpled to the floor. Corrin stared for a second as he tried to catch his breath.

Azura tapped Corrin on the shoulder. Corrin flinched at the sudden contact, but turned to face Azura.

"Corrin? A-are you hurt? What's wrong?" Azura asked, concern evident in her voice. Corrin looked away, towards the hill where the figure still stood and glared at him.

"Now's not the time. I'll explain after this, alright?" Corrin replied.

Azura blinked, confused. "Oh. Um, alright, if you say so." Pointing at the figure, Azura said, "If we want to get to that mage, we're going to have to get past this barrier in front of us."

Raising an eyebrow, Corrin pointed at the stature. "What barrier? You mean, this statue in front of us is a barrier?"

Azura nodded. "Yes. You see those circular pads around the statue? Those are teleportation runes, designed to transport us where they lead. There's another one underneath the stature."

"But how do we get rid of this barrier…statue…thing?" Corrin replied, his red eyes casting over the statue.

Azura closed her eyes. "I'm sensing dragon veins nearby…within a series of forts. I'm guessing those veins can help us get rid of the barrier," she said.

Ryoma walked up behind them, Rajinto's blade covered in blood. "If that is true, we'll have to attack each fort head on. We don't have enough time for scouting out a less risky tactic if we also want to help our allies," he said gruffly.

Corrin and Azura nodded. "Wait, where is everybody? I thought everybody jumped together?" Corrin asked.

Xander grimaced. "We may have all jumped together, but each of us woke up with only a few allies next to each. Most of the army is scattered all over the place, and we've been forced to deal with all these…enemies the whole time."

Corrin frowned. "We don't have enough time to go through each pad and rescue everybody. If we focus on rescuing one group, the rest may be killed," he said. Suddenly, Corrin's face lit up as he came up with an idea. He pulled his dragonstone out of his tunic, the blue orb warm against his skin. Turning to Azura, Ryoma, Gunter, and Xander, he said, "You all may want to back a little bit."

Gunter raised an eyebrow and Ryoma and Xander looked at each other in confusion, a habit that they seemed to do more and more often. Only Azura realized what he was about to do.

"Quickly! Everybody! Get back!" she shouted. Ryoma, Gunter, and Xander hastily ducked behind a small wall a few feet away as Corrin took a necklace out of his tunic.

Corrin gripped the necklace tightly in one fist as he closed his eyes in concentration. Normally, Corrin never transformed into a dragon outside of combat, and even then, he only stayed as a dragon for less than a minute at a time. Every time he was in his draconic form, he could feel the dragon's consciousness eating away at his own, threatening to overwhelm his own fragile human consciousness. It wasn't easy to live with, but he always regained control in the end. With a geyser of water erupting from beneath his feet, Corrin transformed. Besides Azura, Ryoma drew a sharp breath and drew Rajinto halfway out of its sheath before Xander placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to stay down. Azura looked away from her brothers towards the dragon.

She wasn't the only one who had a fear of Corrin's draconic form. Takumi often had nightmares about Corrin's dragon form, though Azura believed that his nightmares consisted more about Mikoto's death. Sakura was the only Hoshidan sibling besides Hinoka who was fine with his draconic form, though Sakura had a habit of turning paler than the moon whenever Corrin transformed. The dragon reared back its head and let out a baying cry, its gray metallic false-jaw opening as it roared. Azura was dimly aware that the fighting in the distance stopped for several seconds, before continuing. The dragon pawed at the ground before turning to look at where the four of them were hiding. Azura's blood froze for a moment before the dragon suddenly reared, a thick smoke billowing out from underneath it, its silhouette shrinking. Within the smoke, Azura saw a white flame burning before fading out.

Where the dragon once stood knelt Corrin, who was gasping and grabbing his head. Azura jumped over the wall and slowly walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" she asked. Corrin nodded before pushing himself back up

"Lord Corrin. What did you do?" Gunter asked.

"I thought it was obvious? I gave away our position so that our allies will know where to find us," he explained. Gunter frowned with disapproval.

"Yes well, now our enemies know we are here as well. Forgive me for this outburst, Lord Corrin, but in my personal opinion, such a tactic was unwarranted and risky."

Corrin opened his mouth to protest before Ryoma stiffened suddenly. "Wait. Where is Scarlet?"

Corrin shifted uneasily as Gunter and Xander looked around in confusion. Azura frowned as she connected the dots in her head. She placed a hand on Ryoma's forearm.

"Ryoma…I don't-"

She was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Leo and Takumi, Silas, Elise, Sakura, and the rest of the royal siblings' retainers. They all let out a collective groan as some fell to their knees, obviously wounded. Leo's horse collapsed to the side and its rider fell onto the ground as its sides heaved, trying to take in huge gulps of air. Takumi winced as Elise ran a hand over a wound on his leg. Sakura gave a quick hug to Corrin before returning to Leo's side to heal a nasty looking gash across his forehead. A few dozen random soldiers also came out of the pads. Corrin walked up to Takumi and knelt down next to him.

"Takumi…what happened? Where's the rest of us?" Corrin whispered. Takumi looked at him, his gray hair frayed and covered with blood.

"I…I don't know," he said, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "We all landed in different areas, and we all got separated as soon as those…things attacked us." Takumi groaned as the wound on his leg magically sealed itself shut, courtesy of Elise's magic.

Takumi cast a quick glance towards Elise in appreciation before turning back to Corrin. "I don't know where the rest of the army is, if that's what you're asking. I think…I'm afraid we're all that's left."

Corrin cursed, startling Takumi. Corrin wasn't known to lose his temper or use such language even in the direst of times. Corrin walked over and stood in front of the giant statue and glared up at its serene face. The statue's face was mostly eroded, but one could still see the distinct smile and eyes on its face. Corrin scowled as he put a hand on a nearby pillar.

Scarlet was dead. All of his friends were grievously hurt. The rest of army was missing, probably surrounded by Anankos' forces. All the months planning with Azura and Leo. All worthless. None of it mattered. Scarlet was killed before the campaign had even started. Takumi was hurt. Leo was hurt. Sakura and Elise were both at their limits. Laslow, Odin, and Selena huddled together underneath a tree, talking in hushed tones.

Maybe we should admit defeat...

It was the first time the thought had ever occurred to him. Anankos may have a limitless number of servants at his disposal, but there was no way that even he would be able to track them down. Azura had mentioned lands in Valla that were far enough from Anankos where it was theoretically possible for them to escape to fertile forests where nobody could track them down.

The idea made him sick to even consider, however. He would be abandoning Scarlet, Ryoma, Xander, and all those who gave their lives to see this day happen. He knew with utter certainty that despite her feelings for him, Azura would never consider abandoning their friends to run away with him.

No. There has to be a way where we win.

"Corrin?"

Corrin turned to see Leo, Laslow, Odin, Selena, and Azura walking up to him. Azura automatically stood next to Corrin's side, her hand automatically wrapping around his. Despite the grim situation, Corrin squeezed her hand, grateful that she was safe, at least. Laslow grimaced as Odin and Selena gently set him down on a nearby log. Leo knelt in front of Corrin and took a piece of parchment out from under his armor.

"What's this?" Corrin asked. Leo couldn't help but smirk, despite the grim situation.

"Well, you see, I've been working on perfecting a spell that allows me to create a perfect map of our surroundings by casting it on different individuals in different parts of the land. The spell then creates a real life paper map with all of the features each that individual noticed," Leo said, his voice ragged.

"Wait, hold on," Corrin said, raising a hand. "So what you're saying, is that by casting this…spell thing….on our allies, you're able to use their memories to create a map?"

Leo nodded. "Yes! Finally, somebody who understands! I had to explain this concept nearly three times before Azura understood!"

Azura glared at Leo, who hastily added on, "I mean, this was a pretty hard spell to grasp at first, even for the most outstanding scholars."

Corrin rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So you know the layout of the surrounding land?"

Leo nodded again. "Yes. Not only do we know the land around us, the map also indicates what seems to be a series of forts located on the islands around us. Eight of them, to be precise."

Corrin looked towards Azura, comprehension dawning on both of their faces. "Azura, didn't you say that…"

"…that there were dragon veins inside those forts," she finished. Leo looked at them in confusion.

"Wait, dragon veins? Like, the kind that only descendants of the dragons can use and are capable of shifting the land and environment at will?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes, those kinds of dragon veins. I'm guessing that since there's eight forts, there's also eight dragon veins that we'll need to activate."

"Yes," Azura agreed. "But we just don't have enough time or men to focus all of our forces on each individual fort."

Leo nodded in agreement. "I concur. If we send all of our forces, that mage," Leo pointed at the figure, "may just decide to have the rest of her forces converge here, in front of the statue. If that happens, then it'll be impossible for us to retake this island, especially since these teleportation pads can only transport one person at a time, and requires a 'cool down,' of sorts, after each use.

Corrin frowned as he rubbed his chin. If he had a beard, he would have undoubtedly stroked it. "So we'll have to split up if we want to activate the dragon veins. Yet we need to leave enough warriors back here on this island to maintain our position?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. If I were I your position, I suggest creating a strike force consisting of at least one healer, at least one person capable of activating the dragon vein, and a group of warriors to protect them."

Corrin nodded. "Ah, I guess that…makes sense…sort of."

Leo then pulled out a small baton and pointed at a section of the map. "We should have at least three groups attacking the forts, with one group staying behind to hold the fort, metaphorically, of course. We'll also need another group, consisting mainly of fliers, such as pegasi and wyverns. This group should be responsible for providing immediate relief and support to the other groups."

Leo crossed his arms as he looked down at the map. "Of course, we'd need to warn them about getting too close to the forts. Most of them would undoubtedly be manned by at least a dozen archers or mages."

Corrin let out a chuckle, though there was no mirth in it. "Ah…Leo…what would I ever do without you?" he asked.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'what would you do without me?'" he asked. "If I wasn't here, you'd still be punching the stuffing out of every pillar here."

Corrin laughed. "Alright, maybe. Leo, can you go and rally the men? Tell them the plan, and tell them to rest up and get their wounds treated before we move out."

Leo shook his head. "My apologies, brother, but you are this army's figurehead, not me. I'm happy to give you advice on war strategies, but that's about it, I'm afraid."

Corrin frowned. Leo's eyes softened as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Take heart, Corrin. There may be a way out of this yet."

Corrin glared at him. "How so?" he snapped. Leo blinked in confusion, put-off by his brother's sudden anger. "How is there going to be a way out of this? There's barely a hundred of us here, and half of said hundred are wounded to the point where they can't even fight! As for the rest of the armies, both just vanished! Kaput! Gone!" Corrin jabbed a finger into Leo's shoulder, causing him to take a step backwards.

"The rest of the army isn't gone, Corrin!" Leo snapped, his voice sharp.

"And how do you know that?" Corrin snapped back, his voice equally sharp.

Leo sighed. "I don't know how I know it, but I have a feeling that there's something out there…manipulating the flow of energy in this land. I'm sure that the rest of the army landed together in one place, and that something separated us from the rest of the army on purpose."

Corrin frowned. "So you're saying that someone forced this group to land here separated from the rest of the army?"

Leo nodded. "That's what I think. Again, I can't explain it, it's just a feeling," he said.

Corrin let out a sigh of relief and sat on the log as he pushed his hair out of his face. "So that means that…the rest of us…are okay?" he whispered. Azura knelt next to him and wrapped her hand around his shoulder. Leo nodded silently. Corrin closed his eyes and counted to ten before finally speaking.

"Alright. Thanks, Leo. Um, sorry for snapping at you. Its just that, we've lost way too many friends this early in the war, and I guess I'm just taking my anger out on you. I'm sorry. I-I'll talk to the rest of us later, then. I'm sorry."

Leo said nothing but nodded and walked away. Azura sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Corrin, you know better to lose your temper at Leo. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said curtly. Azura frowned.

"Come on, Corrin. We just had a conversation like this less than an hour ago. I know when you're lying to me, and I also know when you're angry. So tell me, what's wrong?"

"Fine!" he snapped. Azura reared back, shocked by his sudden outburst.

Corrin grimaced and took her hand in his own. "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just that… it's only the beginning of our troubles here in Valla, and we've already lost Scarlet."

Oh…

"Scarlet gave her life just to protect me, and despite that, we're still blowing it. We failed to meet up with our forces, and now the army is stuck somewhere without a leader, and probably under attack by Anankos himself even as we speak," Corrin said miserably. "Maybe it's better if I faced him alone, if only to spare the rest of our forces from him."

Azura blinked as she squeezed Corrin's hand. "Corrin…Scarlet sacrificed herself so that you can live and lead us to victory, not so you can sacrifice yourself for a cause that may not even happen! You can't think of yourself as being so expendable, because you're not! Back on the bridge, you were willing to die like my mother, all because you were too thick to realize that without you, this army wouldn't have existed in the first place!"

Corrin grimaced as Azura rapped his head with her knuckles. "You always told me that I should consider myself a separate person from you, and I have. I know who I want to be, and I want to be somebody who wants to stay by your side forever. But I can't stand by idly as you flaunt your life about because you're too used to having to put it on the line for others.

"I'm not saying that's a bad thing back when both Hoshido and Nohr were hunting us, but now you're the leader of one of the largest armies in history! This is war, Corrin. Not everybody makes it through, but we all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we signed up to follow you. You may regret having Scarlet sacrifice herself for you, but she will never feel regret for sacrificing herself!"

Corrin's head fell. For a split second, she was afraid that her speech hadn't gotten through to him. To her relief, Corrin looked back up at her.

"But it just…feels wrong to send people off to their deaths, don't you think? I'm sorry, but I can't stop thinking about how-"

Corrin's eyes widened as Azura pulled his face to hers. For a second, he tried to fight against her grip before relaxing and wrapping a hand around her. Azura separated from Corrin as she blushed.

"Sorry…I know in context, that was inappropriate, but you don't know how much it hurts me to see you like this," Azura said. "Corrin…I need you to be strong for me…for our cause…for all of our sacrifices. We can't afford to have you off your game just because a friend sacrificed themselves so that you may live. I get it. I hate living knowing that my life continues as a result of other people sacrificing their lives for me. But you're something more than just a leader of an army."

Azura leaned in closer to Corrin's ear. "You're more than the prince of Hoshido and Nohr. You're more than a kind person who tries their best to find the best solution. You're also my love. If you don't listen to me and keep thinking your life is as important as ours, at the very least, keep in mind about how I would feel to see you like this," she whispered.

Corrin was silent, and for a moment, Azura was terrified that her words hadn't reached him. But then he let out a smile chuckle as he wryly smiled and shook his head.

"Thank you…" he whispered back."I…see what you're saying, I think."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Ah-that is to say, I'll keep what you said in mind, whenever I have…this conversation with myself again…" Corrin chuckled before the smile faded from his face. "It still doesn't feel right to smile so soon though."

Azura said nothing but shifted around so that her back was to his chest. "Yes…maybe it is a bit too soon to laugh, but acceptance is the first of many steps to overcoming grief, I think."

Corrin slowly nodded. "What would I ever do without you?" he asked.

Azura giggled. "Probably what Leo said you'll probably do: beat the stuffing out of every pillar around here."

That got a small laugh out of Corrin before just as quickly fading. "Still doesn't feel right though," he muttered. "But don't worry. I think I'm done brooding, for now, at least."

Azura sighed. "Yes well, you say that every time something bothers you."

Corrin said nothing but wrapped his hand around Azura's waist. For a moment, the two of them simply enjoyed each other's presence. After a while, somebody coughed. Azura flinched and pushed herself away from Corrin, who stared at the offender.

Laslow grinned and winked at Corrin. Behind him stood Odin and Selena, who grinned and rolled their eyes, respectively.

"Yes?" he asked, a little bit annoyed at the interruption.

Selena blew a strand of hair out of her face as she pushed past Laslow and Odin and presented Corrin with a rolled up piece of parchment. "You need to say this," she said pushily.

Corrin raised an eyebrow but took the letter from her, skimming over the contents of it.

Most of it the heading and conclusion were scribbled out, making it illegible, though the main body of the letter remained somewhat unchanged.

* * *

Dear -.-. .. -. .-,

First off, do you understand how much we've been worried about you three? -.-. .., -.-. -, - .. .-, and ... .-have been worried sick, and that's not even getting to the part where I come in! The next time you three decide to .-. / .. -. - - into the unknown, you come to your parents and me and tell us what're you're going. While the three of you are -. .. -.-. .- ., your minds are still that of a child, considering the circumstances - ..- -. .- - . / ..- . upbringing.

But that's besides the point, for now. I have decided to accept your invitation, partly because I still owe you three a couple of favors, but also because, as you know, shortly after .. / -.. . ..-. . ., -.-. .. -. .-vanished. I've consulted - .. -.- , -. .-, and .-. .. .on the topic of "parallel worlds," and I've deducted that such "worlds" while uncommon, do exist. It is possible that -.-. .. -. .-vanished into one of these "worlds," which meant that my stay in your "world" is only going to be temporary. .-. .-and ... . -. gave me a couple of crystals that will allow me to travel from our world to yours in the blink of an eye, but unfortunately, they only have a shelf date of only a few days. Once I arrive in your world, I'll only have a week, tops, before the crystal shatters and I'll be unable to travel back to ... ... .. Less, if I decide to do something that'll dramatically alter this - - .-. .-.. -.. .- according to ..- .-. . .

Make sure you tell your "friend" that I've already made contact with the majority of the rest of his army, and that most are safe and sound. The two armies do seem a bit more...divided than say that of the . .-. .- .-. -, but I'm sure I can make them work together. I mean, I've done it once before, so how hard can it be the second time? They've already taken a liking to me, for some reason, but I'll make sure to lead and protect them like they were the . .-. .- .-. -.

Though it pains me to see that I wasn't chosen as the tactician this time around, according to the men, they've already been fighting in this war for nearly a decade now, so it would be unwise for me to abruptly change their habits and strategies. That being said, I'm positive that whatever mission you three have decided to take on, I'm sure you'll succeed. Just know that the moment I find -.-. .. -. .-, I'm heading back to my own world, which means that unless you three are hanging on to my coat when I travel back, I won't be able to come back for you. You'll have to find your own way back.

Nagaspeed!

-.-. - -... .. -.

* * *

Corrin frowned as he reread the letter. "What? Where did you get this? When did you get this? And why is it so…heavily vandalized? What's with all these...dots and dashes?"

Laslow bit his lip. "Those said letters and numbers are a little something alchemists from our land use it to prevent their work from being stolen and copied down. Incredibly hard to create and to decipher. Other than that, unfortunately, we are not at liberty to discuss it anymore than that. You may be Lord Xander's, Leo's and Camilla's sibling, but you do not have the authority to force us to reveal secrets," he said. "Simply think about how much effort Anankos spent trying to hide Valla from us, and you'll have a general idea of how alchemists punished those who were able to decipher it besides them."

Corrin raised his hands in exasperation. "I swear, I spend more time having secrets kept from me. So I guess that you can't tell me who the author of the letter is? And their past? And why is it vandalized? You still haven't presented a reasonable explanation yet."

Odin smirked. "Alas! We cannot reveal the author's name. Not now, at least! But, if you must know, this letter was meant for the three of us! By summoning-"

Selena immediately clamped a hand over Odin's mouth, glaring at him. "Basically, who ever wrote this letter cast a spell over...certain words and phrases, as you obviously know. I think it was...part of the curse Anankos cast over Valla, that letters sent to and from Valla will have any mentions of  _sensitive_  information scrambled. But you don't need to worry about when the author wrote this letter or if you can trust him. All you need to worry about is keeping us," she gestured to the rabble behind them, "alive, and not worry about the rest of the army."

Laslow cleared his throat again. "Ah, I mean, of course, you should care about your army, but you can rest easy knowing that they are in capable hands."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what about the army's reaction? Assuming your friend is as capable as you want me to believe, the three of you know as well as I do that Nohrians and Hoshidans are not generally a welcoming people. They treat outsiders with suspicion, if they're feeling generous, and with execution and imprisonment if not!"

Selena smirked again. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Let's just say…that our associate has a knack for making friends." Laslow and Odin nodded in agreement.

Corrin reread the letter again. "So basically…" he started. "You want me to let a complete stranger, one that I have never met or spoken before, to organize the army that I spent over a year trying to get to work together?"

Odin nodded furiously. Selena and Laslow looked less certain, but nodded all the same. Corrin pursed his lips as he looked back down at the letter. Did he trust Odin, Laslow, and Selena? He never got to know them on a personal level, but according to Camilla, Leo, and Xander, they were all trustworthy people. Did he trust this "friend" of theirs?

On one hand, no. He had never spoken or seen this person before. On the other hand, if this "friend" was deemed trustworthy by the three of them…

"Alright. Fine. I've decided to trust you three on this. But answer this. Why can't you tell me his name?"

Laslow and Selena both opened their mouths and shut them. Odin managed to pry Selena's fingers off of him as he gasped "It…is because of a…long forgotten…curse!"

Corrin stared at Odin for a second as Selena replaced her fingers over his lips. "A curse," he said flatly.

Laslow raised a finger. "I mean, surely, it can't be all that far-fetched, am I right? I mean, Valla has that whole curse…thing, right?"

Corrin crossed his arms. "How do you know that?"

Laslow grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Haha! Well, you see…I think Lord Xander is summoning me. Until next time, Lord Corrin! Excuse me."

Likewise, Selena released Odin and snapped to attention. "Ahem, er, yes! I think Lady Camilla has some matters I need to attend to, so please, pardon me."

Odin straightened the front of his tunic, looking indignant. Bowing towards Corrin, he hastily excused himself before running after Laslow and Selena. Azura walked up from behind Corrin.

"Do…you know what that was about?" she asked. Corrin shook his head.

"Do you trust this…friend of theirs?" she asked. Corrin nodded his head.

"If I can trust Laslow, Selena, and Odin, I'm pretty sure I can trust their friend, based on how much trust they have in him," he explained. Azura frowned.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense in a way, but do you really trust him?" she asked. Corrin shrugged.

Azura pointed to where the rest of Corrin's elite guard sat. "You know you still have to explain this to the rest of them, right?"

Corrin flinched. "What?"

Azura looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Didn't you hear Leo? You're our leader, so it should be you to explain this situation to them."

Corrin wet his lips. "I heard, I just wasn't sure I needed to do it…so soon. I thought I would only do it, you know, after this was all over."

Azura frowned. "Wait…are you afraid of…?"

Corrin frowned. "What? No. I'm not afraid of speaking in front of an audience. I just…didn't expect to speak to such a large group…so soon."

Azura stared at him for a second before breaking down into giggles. Corrin looked away, embarrassed. "What? I don't have a fear of speaking!"

"No! It's just that I noticed that whenever you get embarrassed, your ears twitch," she explained. "It's kind of cute, really."

Corrin turned away, embarrassed. He cupped his hands over his ears, to check if they really were twitching.

They were.


	3. Chapter 3

"Corrin!  _D-duck!_ " Sakura yelped.

Corrin's eyes widened a split second before he threw himself onto the ground, an arrow thunking into the tree behind him exactly where his head had occupied a split second ago. Corrin cursed as he got up and hid behind a tree. To his right, Sakura yelped and threw herself behind another tree. To his left, Leo's eyebrows knit in concentration as an arrow flying towards him inexplicably burst into fire and crumbled into ash midway.

Corrin peeked out from behind his tree before quickly withdrawing it as another storm of arrows rained down from the fort ahead. The "fort", in question, wasn't so much a fort as it was four walls slapped together with a gaping hole in the front and back acting as a door. The three of them, Corrin, Sakura, and Leo, could have easily taken it had it not been for the presence of a dozen or so archers keeping them suppressed.

Leo suggested that Corrin transform into his dragon form in order to deal with the archers, but Corrin was loathe to remain in that form for any longer than he needed to. Finally, he had agreed to transform once they had managed to get close enough to the walls of the fort.

The only problem was that it was damn near impossible to get close to the walls without needing to hide behind something every few seconds or so. Progress was slow, and Corrin was getting frustrated by their slow progress.

An arrow suddenly streaked by Corrin's face and buried itself in the shoulder of Leo's charger, causing the beast to rear, throwing off its rider as it did so. Leo struggled to his feet, looking disoriented.

"Leo!" Sakura screamed as a Vallite swordsmen decided to charge towards he fallen mage, who groaned and feebly tried to raise his arms in preparation to cast a spell. A golden light flickered into existence before just as quickly flickering out.

Corrin darted out from behind his tree as he sprinted towards the swordsmen. He was dimly aware of the  _whizzing_  of the arrows flying behind him as he raised his sword in preparation to strike down the Vallite. The Vallite saw him coming, however, and raised his own blade to parry Corrin's blow.

Yato collided with the other blade with a harsh  _clang_ , the blades quivering ever so slightly. Corrin gritted his teeth as he tried to push his opponent away so that he could try again for a looping overhead blow. The Vallite did not budge, however, but instead pushed Corrin back ever so slightly, his boots grinding against the ground.

_Blast! This one's stronger than the rest!_

Suddenly, a bright light appeared from behind the Vallite's back and smashed into him, causing him to flex his back inwards. Corrin used the distraction to separate the Vallite's head from his neck.

Leo, for of course it was he was cast the spell, nodded at Corrin before his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed back onto his back, his body limp. Corrin shifted his wings out and spread them out behind him to create a temporary shield from the arrows. Corrin lifted Leo from the ground as he tried to feel for his pulse.

To his relief, he found it, a strong beating jerking in his neck. Sakura slid down next to him as she waved her healing rod over his inert body.

"What's wrong with him, Sakura?" Corrin asked, grimacing slightly as he felt the  _clinking_  of arrows bouncing off of his wings.

The priestess pursed her lips, her usual timid and reserved nature vanishing as she looked over Leo's body. Corrin had always found it amazing that she was able to switch back and forth her two facades so easily. Usually, she acted shy and timidly, but in stations such as these, these traits vanish only to be replaced with a strong will rarely seen out of battle.

"Nothing fatal, as of right now," she replied. "A broken rib, but that's the extent of it for now."

"Can you heal him if I cover you two?" Corrin asked, grimacing again as an arrow poked into a particularly sensitive spot on his wings.

Sakura shook her head. "I-I mean, I guess I could, but he'll still be out for a while, though. I feel it would be better if the two of us retreated back to the statue for me to heal him there."

Corrin did not even bother considering the alternatives. "Fine. Take Leo and retreat back to the others. I'll deal with this vein myself," he said.

Sakura looked at him worriedly. "B-but, are you sure you c-can handle so many?" she asked.

Corrin winked, an unusual display of levity during these times. "Don't worry, I'm half dragon, remember? Besides, the only reason I didn't transform before was because I was afraid the two of you would be caught in the crossfire when I'm in my dragon form. If the two of you fall back to Azura and the rest, I'll be able to transform freely without needing to worry about accidently hurting one of you guys," he said.

Sakura nodded as she tried to prop the unconscious Leo on her shoulder. Corrin reached out to try to help her, only for Sakura to refuse.

"I c-can carry L-Leo by m-myself, big brother. Just…worry about yourself, alright? P-please don't get hurt!" she said. Corrin paused, unsure of how to respond, but eventually nodded.

"In that case, I'll try to cover you two and distract them as long as I can," he said. Sakura nodded and started to move back towards the teleportation pad.

Corrin spread his wings out even further to minimize the chance that a stray arrow may strike Leo or Sakura. Eventually, Sakura was able to make it back to the pad, whereupon she and Leo vanished in a flash of light. On another island, a similar flash appeared.

Corrin sighed in relief before taking his dragonstone out from underneath one of his pockets. He gripped the azure orb tightly in his hand as he closed his eyes in concentration. Transforming wasn't  _hard,_  per se, but it did require some form of concentration, mainly to focus his inner resolve lest the dragon's fury take over his consciousness.

Corrin was dimly aware of the smoke rising from beneath his feet as he fell to his knees, his arms and legs shifting and lengthening, his torso and neck elongating. The whole process took less than a minute, and Corrin soon found himself rearing back and letting out a roar.

He pawed the ground as he looked towards the Vallite soldiers charging towards him. In all honesty,  _looked_  was probably the wrong word to use for this sensation. Instead, Corrin was somehow able to create "silhouettes" of everything around him based on smell alone. While his sense of smell was a thousand-fold times better than in his human form, Corrin found that unless he was actually focused on something, the thousands of scents would soon overwhelm him.

He swung his head towards the charging Vallites and lowered his head as to bare his antler-horns, both of which were razor sharp, towards them. The Vallites slowly came to a halt, unsure of whether or not they should press their attack on a dragon.

Corrin gave them their answer.

* * *

Azura pursed her lips and grimaced as Takumi groaned. Partway through healing Takumi's leg, Elise's healing rod suddenly shattered, thus ending the spell of numbness she had cast on him. Obviously, leaving somebody with their muscles still half-stitched was cause for a great deal of pain, and Elise recruited Azura and Mozu to restrain him while she tried to find another healing staff.

Not only that, but Elise had also instructed Azura to keep pressure on the wound, lest he bleed out. Azura accepted, thinking it was a relatively easy job compared to restraining a grown man, but Azura soon found out keeping pressure on a wound was neither easy, nor clean.

Takumi insisted on moving the limb around, which meant Azura had to adjust accordingly. Of course, she couldn't blame him for being in discomfort, but that didn't mean she was necessarily fine with the other problem.

That other problem turned out to be the absurd amount of blood spurting out from Takumi's leg. No matter how clean the rag or bandage was, within a minute, it would be sopping red. Mozu had offered to take her place, but Azura refused.

Keeping Takumi from bleeding out was about all she could do at the moment. She just didn't have the physical strength to keep Takumi from writhing about and whatnot. On the other hand, Mozu was more than capable of keeping a grown man flat on his back, courtesy of the years of farm work and hunting during her childhood.

It seemed like an eternity of pain-filled groans and discarding sopping wet bandages before Elise finally returned. Azura sighed in relief as she stood back up, trying to dry out and clean her hands using a nearby rag. She crossed her arms as she looked around.

Corrin, Azama, Sakura, Keaton, Beruka, Kaze, Camilla, Ryoma, Leo, Xander Reina, Hinoka, and Silas had all volunteered to be part of the strike force against each of the dragon forts. At first, Azura had been hurt that she was left out of the battle preparations, until Corrin revealed that he needed her to remain behind at the statue to protect the area from attacking Vallites and to set up a triage to help care for the wounded.

Azura accepted the offer, grateful that she was able to help. With Mozu's and Subaki's help, they were able to pitch a tent for the wounded while Benny and Peri tried to move as many over to the tent as they could. Elise was the only true healer they had with them right now who wasn't severely wounded, though it turned out that Mozu and Odin were both surprisingly knowledgeable about healing as well, the former of which mainly using the surrounding plants and herbs to help alleviate the pain felt by the wounded.

After drying out and cleaning her hands, Azura made her way to the statue and looked up at its eroded features. An hour ago, three or four bright lights can erupted from the forts and crashed into the statue, knocking off both of its arms and cracking the base. Despite the damage, the statue was still intact enough to refuse any efforts to destroy through conventional means.

Azura knew what the lights meant, that it signaled the success of the strike force's efforts in activating the dragon veins. There was supposed to be about eight dragon veins, and so far, Azura had only counted six. She continued to stare at the statue before a brilliant light appeared from behind her, causing her to turn around.

Sakura and Leo both suddenly appeared out of the teleportation rune. Azura rushed to Sakura's side to help her with Leo as she waved over Benny and Mozu, who was done treating Takumi. She looked over at Leo, gently lifting his chin as she looked for any wounds.

To her relief, there was no serious wounds, but despite that, he looked absolutely terrible. His breath came ragged, and there was a nasty bruise on his cheek. Sakura herself wasn't off much better. Her kimono was torn at the edges in several places and his hands and hair was matted with dirt and sticks.

"What happened?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head as she tried to focus. "Oh, um, a-an arrow h-hit L-Leo's horse and it t-threw him off. H-he has a f-f-few broken ribs, though. H-he's hurt, but I-I wasn't able to heal him on the s-spot, so Corrin a-asked me to bring him here," she whimpered.

" _What?_  Corrin's alone?" she asked incredulously.

Sakura flinched but nodded her head. "L-Leo wanted us to get closer to the fort b-before he wanted Corrin to t-transform. A-after Leo got knocked o-out, Corrin s-said that if the two o-of retreated here, he wouldn't n-need to w-worry about hurting us by a-accident," she explained.

Azura scowled in frustration. Of course, from a strategic standpoint, such a strategy would make sense, but did he  _have_  to attack a fort by  _himself_? Azura helped Leo over to the tent, whereupon she immediately turned around, grabbed her naginta, and walked towards the teleportation rune. Sakura eyes widened as she realized what she was about to do.

"N-no! B-big sister, don't!" she yelped. "W-we both know…how b-big brother is when he's i-in his dragon f-form!"

Azura scowled under her breath. She  _hated_  being so emotional about this. Normally, she was withdrawn, her face nothing more than a mask: emotionless and unmoving. But whenever Corrin put himself in danger, all she could about was to help him. But whenever she was ready to help him, Corrin would always find some way to get her to stay behind. She  _hated_ it.

"She's right, Lady Azura," a voice said.

Azura turned to find the source of the voice. A few feet away stood Laslow and Odin, the former of which was grinning and moving his eyebrows suggestively towards her. Azura blew a strand of hair out of her face as she continued to march towards the teleportation rune.

"Odin," she said curtly. "I thought you had gone with Leo"

Odin sighed and shook his head. "Alas, it was not to be! These two weary but brave souls have had our own share of hopeless battles and overwhelming odds against us!"

Azura frowned. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Laslow clapped Odin on the shoulder. "That is to say, Lady Azura, the two of us have some…idea of what we're up against," he said. "And quite frankly, not one out of the three of us are comfortable with being bac-, er, here."

Azura crossed her arms. "Explain," she said.

Odin planted his feet in an attempt to look like some sort of legendary swordsman. "Aha! You see, Lady Azura, it is common knowledge that the three of us have a deeply muddled and mysterious past—."

"The three of you?"

"Ah, Odin, me, and Selena," Laslow interjected.

"—that only a select few can know about!" Odin continued. "We have traveled across oceans of time in order to arrive in this land, and little do yo—"

Azura interrupted with a wave of her hand. "I'm sorry, Odin, but I don't have time for your theatrical antics right now. Corrin needs my help right now, so I don't have time to talk."

Odin's eyes bugged out in surprise. "B-but, I haven't even gotten to the tale of our epic struggles against our enemies and—and—"

Laslow, the more pragmatic of the two, drew his sword and placed it in front of her. "I'm sorry, Lady Azura, but we cannot allow you to put yourself in anymore danger than we are already in," he said, his sharp tone betraying his jovial features, the only way she was able to tell when he was deadly serious.

"I don't care, Laslow. As a princess of Hoshido, I am ordering you to let me through and let me help Corrin," she said, her voice equally sharp. "Who are you to order me about?"

Laslow shook his head. "Lady Azura, you know better than anybody here how dangerous it can be to be alone in Valla. Think, how do you think Lord Corrin will feel if you get yourself hurt or killed trying to help him?"

"Of course! Lord Corrin is the center—no! The  _latchkey_  of this epic endeavor! In order for the noble armies of Hoshido and Nohr to succeed, we must first ensure that Lord Corrin be in the best state of health, both physically and mentally!" Odin added on.

Azura paused. What Laslow and Odin said made sense. It would be tragic indeed if she was hurt or killed trying to help Corrin. He would undoubtedly find himself guilty somehow, and he would soon—

No. She would never let that happen.

" _Fine_ ," she snapped."So what do you want me to do then?"

Laslow chuckled. "Why, nothing. Just do what you were doing before," he said. "In fact, did you know that whenever you walk, your hips shake in a most splendid way?" he asked suggestively.

Azura turned away dismissively. "I have no time for your idle compliments, Laslow. If I can't help Corrin, what do you want me to do then?" she asked.

Odin crossed his arms. "Like what my noble friend said, do what you were doing before. Trust us when we say that if Lord Corrin wanted to destroy that fort by himself, he most definitely could. You know the power he has. Do you really want to be next to him when he unleashes that power?" he said, his voice unusually grim and serious.

Azura opened her mouth to reply, but before she could utter a single word, a roar echoed from the most northeastern island. For a moment, everybody paused and looked at the island before resuming their activities, albeit in a more subdued manner.

Azura continued to stare at the island before looking back at Laslow and Odin. To her surprise, the blood suddenly drained from their faces. If she didn't know them any better, she would have thought them to be scared. Laslow's knuckles whitened as he gripped his word hilt tighter. Odin clenched his fists, his face contorted in a scowl that betrayed his normal optimistic and energetic personality.

"Uh, Laslow? Odin? Are the two of you alright?" she asked.

Laslow did not reply but Odin took him by the shoulders and herded them away. "Ah, forgive us, Lady Azura. My stalwart companion here has a bit of a…fear-slash-hatred about dragons," he explained. "You know, childhood traumas and whatnot."

Azura could have sworn that she saw Odin shudder as he uttered the word "dragons."

"Just…take our advice and don't take after Lord Corrin. He is, by far, one of the most powerful and deadliest warriors I have ever laid eyes on! The two of us are confident that such a warrior will rarely fall in battle based solely on the skill of his mortal enemies alone!" he said before he walked away, Laslow in tow.

_What was that about?_  Azura thought to herself.  _Laslow and Odin aren't the types of people I would think to be afraid of dragons_ …


	4. Chapter 4

Corrin roared, and the Vallite soldiers before him quailed. A single arrow streaked past him. Corrin paid it no mind. Instead, he leapt off the pile of rubble that had once been a wall. The impact shook the entire courtyard, knocking anybody near him off their feet. The Vallite soldiers broke formation then, separating into a dozen smaller groups. One of the Vallites, an officer, Corrin guessed, based on its more ornate plume on its helmet, raised his sword and pointed it towards Corrin. A line of archers on the far side of the fort let fly a volley of arrows towards Corrin. Arrows bounced off his chest as he roared and reared. A single spearman decided to charge him at that very moment, so as Corrin fell back on his front feet, he raked his right paw through the air, nearly cutting the unfortunate Vallite in twain.

Corrin ducked his head instinctively as another volley of arrows fell around him. He knew he had nothing fear from such paltry attacks, but this action was more out of human instinct than actual precaution. Corrin snorted and shook his head as a single arrow rebounded off Corrin's face with a metallic  _ding_. For a split second, the white silhouettes against the blue background of his vision blurred before sharpening again.

Another Vallite spearman decided this was an opportune time to charge him. He stabbed at Corrin's shoulder blade, hoping to penetrate through his scales. Unfortunately for him, even the thinnest of Corrin's scales was stronger than even the finest armor plating. The blade and shaft shattered and splintered in his grip, leaving the spearman with a useless stump of wood in his hands. Corrin looked down at the spearman, almost in contempt, before rearing and goring the Vallite with his antler-horns. Once he had finished off the spearman, he turned his attention on the officer, who had managed to brand a shield and spear since Corrin last saw him and was now charging towards him; his spear leveled towards Corrin's chest.

Corrin swung a paw at the spear, hoping to knock it aside and kill the officer. To his irritation, the officer managed to raise his shield just in time to deflect the mighty blow, leaving the shield mangled and about as useful as a piece of plywood. Corrin used the following opportunity to catch the officer with his antler-horns, throwing him up and over the walls. As soon as he was sure the officer was finished, Corrin turned on the rest of the Vallites in the courtyard.

Over the course of the next few moments, Corrin  _decimated_  all of the Vallites. He didn't remember much about the fighting except for the spray of blood whenever he cleaved a Vallite in half with his mighty paws, or the incessant  _pinging_  of arrows ricocheting off his armored skin. As soon as all of the Vallites in the area were dead, Corrin crouched over the corpses of his kills. Beads of blood clung to his scales, the drops of red and black in startling contrast against the white of his scales. Corrin threw back his head and roared his triumph, a baying cry that sent the birds in the trees fleeing.

Once Corrin felt satisfied with the length of his roar, he snapped his false-jaw shut and perched himself on a pile of rubble overlooking the entire courtyard. As he admired his "handiwork," the rage that filled his mind slowly faded away.

Corrin shook his head, as if ridding himself of an annoying fly. Transforming into a dragon wasn't hard, per se;  _remaining_  a dragon, however, was the problem. Azura told him before that whenever Corrin was in his draconic state, he would be subject to the temptations of that of a dragon; namely that of the urge to destroy and rampage. Corrin found that it took a great deal of concentration in order to suppress these urges, but it also took a great deal of focus to retain  _enough_  of these temptations in order for him to remain a dragon.

Corrin leapt off the pile of rubble and landed with a heavy  _crash_  in the middle of the courtyard. As soon as he landed, Corrin reared as a thick cloud of smoke rose from beneath his feet.

Corrin coughed and gasped for breath as his eyes shot open. Corrin groaned as he clutched his head. He had a  _killer_  headache, and the horrific odor rising from the bodies of the Vallites did little to relieve his headache. Corrin struggled to his feet, using Yato to help him up.

Once he was on his feet, Corrin looked around at the courtyard. The fighting had polluted the entire courtyard with a series of horrific smells, which seemed to press against Corrin like a wet blanket. How the smell didn't bother him when he was a dragon, who had a sense of smell infinitely sharper than a human, continued to elude Corrin as he covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his tunic, trying to filter out some of the smells. Corrin had barely managed to bring his arm up to his face before his vision suddenly turned black. Corrin found himself back on his knees, a pile of vomit spreading out from beneath him. Disgusted, Corrin jumped backwards and shook his hands free of the sick.

Looking around at the courtyard again, Corrin couldn't help but be reminded about that day in the castle town, in Hoshido. The rubble strewn about everywhere, the thick fog of dust that pervaded everywhere, the corpses and bodies scattered about, limbs and torso torn in such ways that they were could barely be seen as human anymore. All of this, and more, reminded Corrin about the aftereffects of his first transformation.

Corrin forced himself to look away as he felt his stomach churn. Throwing up over a memory would do little to help him forget that day.

Pressing his tunic sleeve against his mouth and nose again, Corrin walked off towards the dragon vein. Corrin had difficulty describing… _what_  it looked like. Usually, it looked like everything else around it: a patch of dirt, an upturned tree. Sometimes, however, Corrin found that a dragon vein would have…a certain  _allure_  to it, some sort of glow that made it stand out from the rest of the land around it. This particular dragon vein took the appearance of a circular rune on the ground, with ancient texts enscribed around it. Hesitantly, Corrin placed his hand in the middle of the "rune" and closed his eyes in concentration.

Almost instantly, Corrin withdrew his hand. The  _power_  that this dragon vein contained…it was more than any other dragon vein Corrin had interacted with before. Corrin placed his hand back on the dragon vein and willed it to activate.

For a moment, nothing happened. For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Corrin withdrew his hand. Maybe it had been activated before? Or maybe its effects weren't super obvious at first. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light started shine. Corrin covered his eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter.

"What the—?" Corrin blurted, as he backed away from the dragon vein. This was no ordinary dragon vein. The power…the light…it could only mean one thing.

"What's going on?" Corrin asked. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

"Oh, shi—"

Without hesitation, Corrin turned around and sprinted as fast as he could towards the teleportation rune that would take him back to the clearing. As he sprinted, Corrin thought furiously about what had happened.

Xander, Ryoma, and Azura had told him several times before that because of their direct blood line with the divine dragons, they were able to use dragon veins for anything they wanted. What they  _didn't_  mention, however, was Corrin's higher levels of dragon blood in his veins comapred to theirs. He was  _half dragon,_  for god's sake. Of course it would make sense that any dragon vein he activated would be more powerful than the ones Xander, Leo, Camilla, Ryoma, or any of his royal siblings could use. If this particular dragon vein's purpose was to create a spell strong enough to  _blast apart a stone statue,_  Corrin didn't want to be near it when it activates.

Panting, Corrin pushed his way through a bush. He could just  _barely_  see the teleportation rune up ahead. Just a few minutes ago, all they had seemed like one way for Corrin and his forces to travel from Point A to Point B. Just a few minutes ago, they were the key to attack the mage summoning the Vallites. Just a few minutes ago, they had been the object of speculation among the scholars in Corrin's forces.

Now, all they seemed like was a safe haven.

As Corrin sprinted, he heard a deafening  _boom_  resonating from behind him. A blaze of yellow and orange emanated from behind Corrin, though he did not dare turn around to look back.

The world went black for the third time in as many minutes. An unbearable heat pressed against Corrin's back, and everything turned and twisted around him as he tumbled forward through a formless space.

* * *

A bright orb of light flew from over the tops of the trees surrounding the clearing and slammed into the face of the statue. Azura coughed as a thick layer of dust fell over the clearing. She waved her hand in front of her face in a futile attempt to clear the air around her. Her eyes bleary from the dust, she cast her eyes over the statue. A massive crack ran from the top of the statue all the way down to the base of it. As she watched, a part of the statue's right arm broke away and cracked into pieces on the floor.

Beside her, Leo coughed and tried to sit up before Sakura forced him back down onto the floor again, urging him that he should stay still in order to let her finish healing his broken ribs, courtesy of falling off of his horse when it had taken an arrow to the shoulder.

"S-Sakura! Its fine! So long as you cast a spell of healing over it, the spell will automatically finish repairing my ribs so long as you remain conscious and in close proximity!" Leo protested.

"I-I don't care!" Sakura retorted. "Even if what you say is true—"

"I  _know_  what I say is true because I spent nearly an entire month focusing just on  _healing_  and  _mending_  broken bones!" Leo furiously shot back. "All I need to do is to cast some sort of spell that can clear away the dust—" Leo broke down into a fit of coughs. "—clear away the dust in this courtyard! I'm sick of not being able to breathe whenever one of those accursed dragon veins activate!"

Azura sighed in exasperation. Normally, the Nohrian prince and scholar acted aloof, respectful, and collected. On the other hand, Sakura was shy, timid, and usually tried to avoid any sort of conflict to the best of her ability. Lately though, however, whenever either one of them got caught up in a conversation where their opinions differed, all of that went out the window.

Azura rubbed her eyes. "Leo, Sakura, please! Enough with the bickering! Sakura, let Leo cast his spell. Leo, just make sure you don't strain yourself too hard. As soon as you feel any discomfort, I want you to stop whatever you're doing and rest," she said. Inwardly, Azura cringed.

She  _hated_  being so… _off-putting._  Normally, she let Ryoma, Corrin, or Xander sort out this sort of thing. All three of them were infinitely more gifted than her at the art of negotiations between two hostile forces. As for her, Azura preferred to stay in the background, away from any arguments out of fear that the argument may turn towards her. She knew her fears were unjustified, but growing up in Garon's court had taught her that any sort of caution could end up saving her from an embarrassing "accident" later on.

Sakura crossed her arms. Leo smirked towards her as he tried to sit up. He barely managed to get his elbows underneath him before he blanched and fell back onto the floor, gasping.

"Maybe…later…" he panted. "Ribs…still sore…"

Sakura shook her head. " _See?_  I told you that—" Sakura's eyes bugged out as she realized that Azura was still standing solemnly behind her. She stood up and immediately bowed, her face turning as red as her hair.

"Oh! I-I'm so s-sorry, big sister! I p-promise you w-won't ever hear me t-talk to anybody like that a-again!" she stammered, embarrassed.

Azura blinked, unsure of how to handle this. She had been basically living with the rest of her royal siblings for the past year, and yet she was still unsure of how to respond whenever they tried to apologize for something so trivial.

"Uh…alright, I guess? I accept?" she said haltingly. Sakura bowed again, lower this time, and turned her attention back on Leo, who clenched his fist as Sakura ran her hands down his chest. Azura bit her lip as she realized a faint shade of red blossomed across both Leo's  _and_  Sakura's faces.

Azura looked away, embarrassed. Surely, it was nothing, right? And even if it was anything, why should it be considered bad? Sure, they may be in the middle of a battle where they had no place to retreat to, but why that was no reason to avoid making friendships. Azura felt her face twist into a wry smile involuntarily as the image of Corrin streaked across her mind for a split second.

Azura shook her head and closed her eyes as she tried to focus.  _How many was that? Six? Seven? I think that was seven. If so, then we should be on to the last one,_  she thought to herself.

"Lady Azura?"

Azura turned to see Silas dismounting his charger. As he planted his lance in the ground, Silas grimaced as he clutched his arm.

"Damn archers…" he muttered under his breath.

"Oh! Silas! Please, don't push yourself!" Azura said. She hurriedly rushed over the Silas' charger and proceeded to help Silas off.

"No, please, Lady Azura. I can…take care of myself!" he protested.

"Nonsense," Azura scoffed. "You're hurt!"

Despite her objections, Azura let go of Silas just as he dismounted his charger, causing him to fall to the floor amid a jumble of armor and curses. Azura pursed her lips, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Damn!" Silas blurted. "You  _had_  to let go right then and there?"

Azura gave him a wry smile. "Well, you  _did_  say you didn't need my help, so I took your advice and let you get off your horse with a wounded hand."

Silas rolled his eyes. "Forget it."

Azura pursed her lips but said nothing. Instead, she turned back around to stare at the statue. Silas sighed and pushed his hair back.

"Well, according to our most recent reports, Camilla, Ryoma, Xander, Kaze, Hinoka, Takumi, and I managed to activate our respective dragon veins. All that's left is Corrin's dragon, but I guess he has an excuse for his delay. I mean, he  _did_  send both Leo and Sakura back here, so I guess that might be part of the reason," Silas said.

Azura did not respond but crossed her arms, her finger toying absentmindedly with a strand of her trademark azure hair. Silas sighed.

"Listen, I know this isn't exactly the best time to talk about this, and that it isn't really even my place to talk to you in such a casual manner at all, but I just have to know. Is there anything wrong between you and Corrin?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "What? No!," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

Silas frowned. "Well, you know. If I have may have your permission to speak to you casually, while I was treating my wound, I couldn't help but notice that…you seem…more distant than usual."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And how do you know that?" she asked.

Silas grinned sheepishly. "Well, as you know, Corrin and I are pretty good friends," he chuckled. "And, I couldn't help but notice that it was pretty easy to tell whether or not Corrin had talked to you recently."

Azura cocked her head curiously. "What…what do you mean?"

"I mean, before you two…you know, started courting, he was always really social and charismatic and whatnot, as you know pretty well. But it was only  _after_  you two started courting, he started smiling a lot more all of a sudden, and you know… he had this  _vibe_  to him," Silas said, chuckling.

"At first, I didn't really notice. I just thought he was happy to be finished with organizing the army and waiting for the rest of our allies to arrive and whatnot. But when I was talking to Corrin about something, it clicked! I noticed that while Corrin was a lot more spirited than usual, people also started to…kind of notice you," Silas said.

"I mean no disrespect towards you, Lady Azura, but it's kind of hard for you…to stand out to others whenever you're by Corrin." Silas grinned apologetically.

Azura frowned. "Explain," she said curtly.

Rubbing the back his head, Silas continued, "I mean, before, whenever people saw you two together, I'm pretty sure most people noticed Corrin first before noticing you, you know? I don't know, it's just…you have this sort of  _aura_  around you that makes it really hard for people to notice you," Silas said sheepishly.

Azura's frown deepened, and she instinctively crossed her arms and turned away from Silas. Silas cringed.

"Eh—, I mean, that was  _before_  you and Corrin were together," he hastily added. "Now, I couldn't help but notice that now, I find myself sometimes noticing Corrin first, and other times, I found myself noticing  _you_ first, Lady Azura."

Azura froze. "W-what do you mean 'you found yourself noticing me?'" she asked.

Silas bit his lip. "Ah—I meant that in no disrespect— _oh_ , forget it." Silas pushed his hair back as he took a breath to steady himself.

"What I  _meant_  to say, Lady Azura, was that whenever people see you being happy and whatnot, it just… _resonates_  within us, you know?"

Azura continued staring into the distance, unsure of how to respond. Behind her, Silas continued to drone on, his words slowly blurring into obscurity as Azura thought about what he said. Azura was absolutely  _terrified_ about any sort of attention directed towards her. It took her nearly a month before she was able to clearly speak without her stuttering and blushing after she admitted that she and Corrin were indeed courting.

The rational part of her mind insisted that her fears were unfounded. The rest of her stood stock-still. Growing up, getting someone's— anybody's— attention was tantamount to basically begging for a month's worth of bullying, hair pulling, beatings, and blackmail.

On the  _other_  hand, what Silas said about her looking happier than usual was true. Azura  _did_  enjoy spending time with Corrin. She  _enjoyed_  all of his goofy remarks, his childish charm. Yet despite all the time they spent together, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was secretly leading Corrin and the rest of his allies closer and closer to their deaths.

It's one thing to invade an empire that people knew nothing about. It's a  _completely_  different thing to invade an empire whose ruler happened to be a dragon. A deranged, madly insane, violent dragon, at that. Azura shuddered.

What if this whole endeavor was destined for failure? After all, she  _was_  directly responsible for convincing Corrin that he shouldn't choose Hoshido or Nohr over another. Instead, she convinced him to help her free Valla from Anankos' rule.

And so far, she's been doing a damn poor job at contributing to the war she basically brought up. She was, by far, one of the weakest people in Corrin's forces when it came to any sort of physical fighting. Not only that, but Azura couldn't feel that Corrin felt… _underwhelmed_  by her.

On one hand, sure, she was a songstress, and Azura considered herself comely enough, at least to her standards. On the flip side, she was a complete flop at anything besides singing. She rarely came up with any viable ideas or suggestions during meetings, if she even came up with an idea at all.

"…but I couldn't help but notice that now…now you seem…different. Now, you act and feel the same  _before_  you and Corrin started courting, except this time, there's like, I don't know, this hidden buffer beneath you," Silas finished. "Why is that? Lady Azura?"

Azura flinched. "W-what? I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Silas raised an eyebrow. "I was saying that recently, you've been a lot more distant, and I was wondering if anything was wrong. Is it because of you and Corrin? Is there anything wrong between you two?"

Azura shook her head. "No! No. It's just…" Azura paused as she tried to find the right words. "It's just…"

Azura turned around and grabbed Silas by his lapels. " _Promise_  you won't tell Corrin? Or anyone else for that matter?"

Silas blinked. "Eh—of course! You have my word."

"Good." Azura released Silas. "Oh, and, um, sorry for grabbing you like that," she apologized.

Azura turned back around. "Oh, and I also want you to promise me this," she said.

Silas raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Azura rubbed her arms. "I…I want you to stop addressing me so… _formally_ ," she said.

Silas cocked his head. "I-I'm not sure where you're going with this," she said.

Azura pursed her lips. "It's just that…whenever you call me 'Lady Azura,' or whatever, it just doesn't feel right. I mean, you're Corrin's best friend, and you always address him so casually! So why don't you address me the same way you address him?" she asked.  _Gods_ , could she sound anymore like a child?

Silas laughed. "Well, I'm not sure if you're familiar with Nohrian tradition, but traditionally, if a knight has managed to keep a good friendship with his lord, he can drop all the fancy titles and whatnot. On the other hand, as a Nohrian knight, we all have to follow this set of rules, if you must."

Silas shrugged apologetically. "One of these rules involves always speaking politely and formally to women,  _especially_  women of noble birth. Of course, I'm aware of your situation and your status as Corrin's beloved, but it's just sort of… _engrained_  in me to…you know—follow this code."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "In all my years of growing up in Garon's court—"

Silas blanched. "W-wait, what?"

Azura waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing. I'll explain later, once we're out of danger. In all my years in growing up in Nohr, I never heard of such a thing."

Silas rubbed the back of his head. "Well...you see, there's a reason for that, and unfortunately, it's one of those things I can't really talk about. I mean, Corrin also grew up in Nohr. Maybe you should talk to him about this. But you still haven't answered my question. Is there anything wrong between you and Corrin? And if so, what can I do to help?"

Azura shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong between me and Corrin. He's been amazing these past few weeks, it's just that…"

Azura rubbed her arms in embarrassment. "It's just that…you know I have a difficult time trying to get myself to open up to others, and recently, I've been feeling pretty guilty about this…whole endeavor." Azura threw her arms up and gestured towards the statue.

Silas raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, confused. "I don't see what you're going with this, Lady Azura."

Azura purse her lips. "I thought I asked you to stop being so formal with me? You're one of Corrin's best friends, and if you're his friend—" Azura shuddered. "—then so are we."

Silas shook his head, grinning. "Very well, I promise to stop being so formal around her, but only if you tell me what troubles you."

Azura gazed at the statue. "I mean, there's so many things  _wrong_  with this whole situation. I just don't know  _how_  to tell you this. I mean, it always seemed so easy whenever I talk to Corrin about this kind of stuff, but with you…I'm sorry, I just don't know."

Silas looked at her and sighed. "Lady, er, Azura. I know what you're going with here. Gunter and Felicia once told me that Corrin was once as shy and reserved as you are. Back when Corrin and I were playmates, we had these kind of conversations all the time. He wanted to tell me something, but he just couldn't bring himself to open up about it."

Silas crossed his arms as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Trust me, when I say that I know what you're going through right now, and the only advice I can give for you…is to be direct."

Azura sighed. "Fine. I guess if you're so curious about what keeps me up at night, I guess I'll have to tell, don't I?" she said harshly.

Silas cringed. "Ah, I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but all I'm saying is that if you ever need somebody to talk to besides Corrin, I'm always available."

Azura shook her head. "No, no. Sorry for snapping at you like that. I'm…happy…to tell you, it's just that I'm not really used to opening myself up to others so easily. I hope you understand."

Silas shrugged. "Hey, I get it. If now's not a good time, perhaps we should talk about this some other time?"

Azura shook her head. "No. In all honesty, we might not have 'another time.' The closer we get to Anankos, the less time we're—"

"Eh, Anankos?"

Azura froze, before resuming. "Not important, er, I mean, yes, he is important, but he's not relevant right now." Azura turned away, embarrassed. "I'll explain him later."

Silas raised an eyebrow. "If…you insist? But what were you saying before?"

Azura bit her lip. "Well, recently, I was thinking about how I pretty much convinced Corrin to ignore both Hoshido and Nohr, and truth be told, I'm starting to feel a little hesitant about setting him, you, Ryoma, Xander, and the rest of Corrin's forces on this path."

Silas nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "Ah, I see. You feel guilty about talking Corrin out of supporting either side and convincing him to follow you on this path and planning an invasion into this unknown land where everything goes wrong almost immediately?"

Azura gritted her teeth. "I mean, it sounds a lot worse when you put it  _that_ way, but yeah. That's basically the gist of it."

Silas frowned. "Surely, that's not it, right?"

Azura raised an eyebrow. "What? Of course that's it. What makes you think otherwise?"

Silas shook his head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Silas knelt down and started absentmindedly drawing in the dirt with his finger. "Well, I know I wasn't there from the very beginning, but Corrin gave me the gist of it after we first fought against each other in Port Dia."

Azura looked at him in confusion. "When did you two fight?"

Silas shrugged half-heartedly. "Ah, it was a pretty long time ago. I was still a knight of Nohr, and I received orders from Garon to kill Corrin. At first, I didn't realize he meant  _Corrin_  Corrin, but I digress. Either way, after we fought and I joined, he told that basically, there was this huge evil that threatened to disturb the world, and he needed my help to fight against it. At first, I thought he was being melodramatic, what with talk about a third hidden kingdom and whatnot, but now that we're actually  _in_  the third hidden kingdom, I see Corrin was telling the truth all along."

Silas sighed. "Anyways, I have some idea of why you feel this way about the whole thing, and quite frankly, I think you're being a little bit too hard on yourself."

Azura blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

Silas rolled his eyes. "In my opinion, you shouldn't be feeling bad about this whole 'invasion' plan going south. None of us planned for us to meet such hard resistance right off the bat, and quite frankly, even if we  _did_ know about it, you still couldn't be blamed for it."

Grunting, Silas pushed himself back up. "Listen, if you're getting cold feet just because we got off to a bad start, I don't know how you managed to convince Corrin to give up on both Nohr and Hoshido. All of us knew what we signed up for, and we all agreed to serve under both Corrin  _and_  you, at least until this whole thing is over. We're with you to the end, Azura."

Azura rubbed her arms. "Maybe, but there wouldn't have been a need for you to risk your lives anyways if you didn't follow me and Corrin," she said.

Silas shook his head in exasperation. "Yeah, and I'm sure that if you didn't convince Corrin to help you, everything would've been just fine up in Hoshido and Nohr, right? If you hadn't convinced Corrin to follow you, we would've never gotten Hoshido and Nohr to unite together!"

Azura looked away as Silas continued. "It's only  _because_  you appealed to Corrin that Hoshido and Nohr were able to unite together, something that hasn't been done in dozens of generations!"

Silas brushed his hands against his legs, rubbing off the dust and dirt on his fingers. "And besides, one of the first things Corrin said to any of his potential allies was that he needed their help in sealing away some sort of ancient evil. If you didn't get Corrin to fight for you, do you think this 'ancient evil' would've gone away by itself?"

Azura slowly shook her head.

Silas stopped to take a breath, a smug smirk on his face. "Well?"

Azura looked at him. "Well what?" she asked.

"Was that sufficient enough to lift your troubles off your shoulders?" Silas said, still grinning.

Azura looked away, troubled. "I guess? I mean, I wasn't expecting for it to actually mean anything. Usually, whenever I ask someone for help, it's usually always the same thing. 'Go bother someone else with your troubles.' 'Come back later, I'm busy right now.' 'Why do you think I should care?'"

Silas looked at her in horror. "W-what…what type of childhood did you grow up in? I know being the daughter of a noble can be stressful at the best of times, but I've never heard of anyone being so cruel."

Azura flushed. "Well, I guess you know why I never talk to others about my personal problems," she said.

Silas nodded. "I can see why."

For another moment, the two stood awkwardly. Azura fiddled with a strand oh her hair. Silas coughed and pushed his hair back. Finally, Silas broke the silence: "So…is there anything else you had problems with?"

Azura cracked a small smile. "Well, recently, I've been thinking that Corrin is feeling pretty underwhelmed by me, both emotionally and—"

Silas interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "Ah! No! Sorry, Azura, but if we're going to be talking about Corrin, it's going to have to be something besides your relationship. I don't know the nuances and details between you two, and I'm hardly someone you should talk to about relationships, seeing as I'm hardly in one."

Azura smiled. "Yes, I know. I was simply joking," she said.

Silas chuckled and sighed in relief. "Ah, yes. I knew that."

The two continued to stand, gazing up at the statue. This time, it was Azura who broke the silence.

"How do you think Corrin is doing right now?" she asked.

Silas rubbed the back of his head. "Eh, it's tough to say. On one hand, he sent Leo and Sakura back to the main group, which meant that he's going to take a bit more time clearing out the area around the dragon vein, so—"

Silas was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of another bright orb of light. Unlike the others, this particular orb was much larger and hotter than the rest. Azura could feel the heat shedding from it's surface as it crashed into the statue. With a mighty  _crack_ , the statue shattered. Silas' charger balked and ran, retreating to a safe distance. Silas grabbed Azura by the shoulder and pushed her away from a particularly large piece of falling rubble. Azura pressed herself flat to the ground as she waited for everything to settle. Finally, after what appeared to be an eternity of rubble falling and people shouting in alarm, she opened her eyes.

Where the statue once stood was a circular pad, akin to the teleportation pads they used to transport themselves to each of the dragon veins. Azura was dimly aware of Silas helping her to her feet and Ryoma and Xander rushing over to her, asking if she was alright. She nodded mutely to each of their questions and tried to brush off their concerns. Azura just kept staring at the remains of the statue, unsure of what had just happened. She had never seen a dragon vein so powerful, so forceful.

Azura blinked as Leo snapped his fingers in front of Azura's eyes. Irritated, she turned to look at him.

"What?" she asked, though not unkindly. Leo pointed towards a slumped shape on the ground.

The shape was too contoured and smooth to be a piece of rubble from the statue. The shape suddenly made a groan and rolled over. With a start, Azura realized that it was a person. With an even bigger start, Azura realized that it was Corrin.

Azura raced over to him, Ryoma, Leo, Xander, and Silas following close behind. Azura knelt down besides Corrin and checked to see if there were any wounds. Corrin coughed and cracked open an eyelid, his red eyes slowly focusing on Azura.

"Oh, hello there," he whispered.

Azura stared at him. "What was that?" she asked.

Corrin coughed again. "The eighth dragon vein," he said.

Azura blinked. "Then why was it so powerful? None of the other one's were like that," she said.

Leo cleared his throat. "Sorry for the interruption, but I think I have a guess. If only people with dragon blood can activate and use dragon veins, since Corrin is half-dragon, I'm guessing that whatever dragon veins he activates will be much more powerful and potent compared to the one's we activate."

Everybody stared at him. Xander crossed his arms as he looked down at his boots, deep in thoughts. Ryoma rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose it would make sense," the samurai said.

Silas knelt down on the other side of Corrin. "Hey, are you hurt?" he asked.

Corrin frowned as he tried to sit up. "N-no, I don't think so. I think I have a few burns on my back, but I think that's the most of it," he said.

"What happened?" Xander asked as he extended a hand towards Corrin.

Corrin gratefully took it and pulled himself to his feet. "I'm not really sure. I transformed into a dragon, I wiped out the Vallites, I transformed back, I activated the dragon vein, realized something was wrong, and bolted for the teleportation pad. That's all I really remember."

Corrin grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah, and I also teleported through just as the dragon vein activated behind me, so I'm guessing that explains the burns on my back."

Ryoma frowned. "Well, there's no burns on your back, though I suppose it could be under your armor, on your skin. Also, what is that stain on your gloves?" Ryoma pointed towards a greenish-orange stain of Corrin's gloves.

Corrin grimaced and hid his hands behind his back. "You don't…want to know," he said.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. This conversation is irrelevant. Now that Corrin is back among us, our forces are up to full strength. Since the barrier has been cleared, we can proceed to attack that mage whenever we're ready."

Corrin shook his head. "Maybe we should wait a few minutes? If only to let me wash my gloves and treat my burns real quick?"

Xander covered his nose. "Yes, I do believe that you should go wash your gloves. We can spare a few minutes. Take your time. As for the rest of us," he gestured to Silas, Leo, and Ryoma, "we should take this time to make sure we're ready before we go through this portal. Since this portal is many times larger than the others, I'm guessing it can also transport more people at the same time."

Everybody nodded. Corrin broke off and headed towards Elise. Azura watched him go.

"Azura, I want you to remain here. If my guess is correct, the interior of that fort is going to be tight. There's going to be a lot of brutal, short-range swordplay in there, and I'm not sure you're capable or skilled enough to keep yourself safe in there."

Azura opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, Corrin suddenly nudged in between them.

"Eh, actually, big brother, I would much rather prefer Azura come with us than for her to remain here. That mage could potentially summon Vallites behind us as a surprise, and they could potentially be summoned right here in the clearing. Trust me; I believe it's a lot safer if Azura sticks by me than if she stays here."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this, little prince?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes." Corrin looked over at Azura. "Promise you won't wander off, alright?"

Azura frowned. "Wait, what do you 'I won't wander off?'" she asked. "I thought you were the one who decided to order his allies back so that he could face the enemy all by himself?"

Corrin shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Azura. So what if I did? I was in no danger. Surely, one dragon against a dozen Vallites would have no trouble at all, right?"

Azura's frown deepened. "That's…not the point! And besides, that's a very dangerous way of thinking! You  _know_  what happens to people who overestimate themselves."

Corrin opened his hand to reply before he was cut off by Xander raising a gloved hand. "Enough. Corrin, Azura is right. You shouldn't think like that. Even harboring that way of thinking could potentially spell doom for you one day. It's better to be cautious and methodical than reckless and quick. Now go, wash your gloves, that stench is getting worse by the second."

Corrin shook his head but headed off towards Elise. Azura looked up at Xander.

"Thank you, Xander," she said.

Xander smiled. "Think nothing of it, little princess. I'm simply trying to keep my family out of unnecessary danger," he said.

Azura gave a small smile and nodded. She looked towards Corrin, who was grossing out Elise by waving his gloves in her face. "Xander?"

Xander looked down at her. "Yes?"

"Do…do you think Corrin feels underwhelmed by me? I mean, physically and emotionally?" she asked sheepishly.

Xander frowned. "What do you mean?"

Azura bit her lip. She probably sounded like a petulant child. "Nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm going to talk to Corrin."

Xander looked at her with a confused expression. "Um, alright."

As Azura walked away, Xander called out her name. Azura turned around.

"Azura, I wouldn't worry too much about this whole situation. Believe me, we wouldn't have followed you and Corrin if we didn't trust you two."

Azura paused for a second before smiling, nodding in gratitude, and turning back around to follow Corrin.


	5. Chapter 5

Azura sat down on a log next to Corrin. "Hey," Corrin greeted, his face contorted in concentration as he furiously scrubbed at his gloves.

"Hello," Azura replied. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Corrin paused for a second to look at her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, I may or may not have fallen in some…er, vomit while I was taking care of that dragon vein."

Azura stared at him with a look of disgust on her face. "Eugh. Vomit?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, turns out that even though Vallites are technically reanimated bodies, they still decompose. You  _would not_  believe how bad it smelled after I was done," he said, turning back to his task.

Azura frowned. "Corrin," she said gently

"Hm?"

"Corrin, is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

Corrin paused. "No…" he said unconvincingly.

Azura stood up and looked down on him with a stern gaze. " _Corrin_ ," she said again.

Corrin sighed and dumped his gloves into the bucket, causing some of the water to spill out. "Fine," he said. "The smell was only part of the reason why I threw up."

Azura crossed her arms. "That's not what I meant," she said.

Corrin looked up at her. "I know, but it's the truth. When I transformed back, the smell was the first thing to hit me. The second thing…was the sight."

Azura cocked an eyebrow. "The sight?"

Corrin reached into the bucket and grabbed his gloves, turning them over to check for any stains left. "You know…after I transformed for the first time, do you remember what it looked like afterwards?"

Azura closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "Of course. How could I forget? Everything was des—" Azura's eyes snapped open. "You…don't mean that—"

Corrin nodded grimly. "After I looked around, I just felt so  _disgusted_  with myself. Disgusted that  _I'm_  responsible for so much destruction and death. I know that they were all Anankos' servants, but still. You just don't look at a courtyard filled with bisected bodies, knowing that you were responsible, and  _not_  feel sick."

Corrin sighed and stood up. "I-I don't know, Azura. Sometimes, I feel like this whole thing—" Corrin gestured towards the pile of a dozen or so white sheets on the far side of the clearing, the corpses of those who had fallen, "—is my fault."

Corrin turned to look at Azura, his lips contorted in a frown. "I just feel so guilty knowing that I'm responsible for leading so many down here to their deaths. I mean, whatever happened to one of those bodies in that courtyard could've happened to one of us. I mean, what happens if I transform at the wrong time? What happens if my friends just so happened to be in the way when I'm rampaging? Can you understand that?"

Azura stared at Corrin. Azura could feel tears of her own slowly starting to well up, but she pushed them back.  _Of course_  she understood what Corrin was feeling. Barely a minute ago, that was all what she was talking about with Silas. She walked forward and took Corrin's hands. Corrin tensed, as if he was preparing himself for whatever harsh words Azura would throw his way. Why wouldn't she? If your best friend and lover started getting cold feet about helping her deal with a problem that had been plaguing her since her childhood, why wouldn't she be angry towards his cowardice?

To his surprise, Azura planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Corrin's eyes widened as he involuntarily took a step backwards. Azura blushed and pursed her lips in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I know that was kind of out of the blue, but I think we should talk about this now. We won't have any other time to talk about this," she said gently.

Corrin blinked. "Y-You're not mad at me?" he asked.

Azura looked confused. "Why would I be mad at you for something I feel all the time?"

Corrin bit his lip. "Well, I thought you were going to be upset that I seemed like I was getting cold feet about this whole thing. You know, helping you free Valla, kill Anankos, and rebuild Valla. I thought you were going to think of me as a coward," he said.

Azura pursed her lips. "What? No, no! I would never think of you as a coward for feeling guilty about leading your friends and family here. If anything, it should be me that should be feeling guilty."

Corrin stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Azura slipped her hands out of Corrin's. Corrin let her escape, his own hands falling listlessly to his side. Azura fiddled with a strand of her hair, the same way she does whenever she's nervous.

"Well, I was talking to Silas a couple minutes ago, and I told him that I was feeling really guilty about convincing you to abandon Hoshido and Nohr, and instead getting you to help me with my own problems," she muttered. "I mean, I know now that if I didn't convince you to help me, Anankos would've probably attacked us in the future but still. I was feeling really guilty about bringing you into this whole situation and how now we're all stuck in Valla until we kill Anankos."

Corrin stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me this before? I could've helped you!"

Azura rubbed her eyes, her voice suspiciously thick. "I  _wanted_  to! I didn't want to burden you with more unnecessary problems! What with you dealing with bringing Hoshido and Nohr together, preparing our forces to invade Valla, and figuring out ways to kill Anankos."

Corrin grabbed Azura and pulled her closer towards him. "Azura…I'm so sorry" he murmured.

Azura rested her head on Corrin's chest. "No, don't be. You were never the problem. In all honesty, more often than not, it was you who cheered me up, if only a little bit. . I can't ever tell you how important you are to me, and I guess I thought that you were too important to listen to me and my problems," she said.

Corrin did not reply, but instead he pulled her closer. Azura closed her eyes and tried to relax as best she could within Corrin's arms. For a few moments, they stood there, until Corrin let out a small chuckle. Azura looked up at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Nothing much. I just thought how funny it was that whenever one of us seeks out the other for comfort, we end having to comfort them instead."

Azura cracked a small smile of her own. "Yes, I do suppose we do that a little bit too often."

For a moment, they simply stood there, trying their best to enjoy each other's company as long as they could before they went back into battle. It was only until somebody rode up behind them and coughed that they separated.

"Yes?" Corrin asked, though not unkindly.

"Milord, you should know better than to engage in such acts of familiarity when we are in the middle of a battle," Gunter said, his rough voice sounding even more gravelly than usual.

Azura flushed and pushed herself away from Corrin. She hastily whispered an excuse and quickly left the two men to their business. Corrin squeezed her hand one last time before they separated and looked up at Gunter with a look of irritation on his face.

"Come on, Gunter, did you really have to interrupt us?" he asked jokingly.

Gunter frowned disapprovingly. "We are in the middle of a battle, all of our preparations are done, our troops are waiting for their leader to join them, only to see said leader is instead kissing his paramour," he said with a straight face. " _In public."_

At that, Corrin blushed. "Well, it's not like we have a lot of time left together, Gunter. I'm sure if you were in a similar position, you would find yourself doing the exact same thing."

Gunter shook his head. "No, I wouldn't be. My duty comes before my own personal interests. Besides, I'm sure if you remember your classes on etiquette, there is a time and place for everything relating to paramours. Now is  _not_  one of those times."

Corrin grinned but nodded his head. "Alright, I get it. I'll try to keep everything private until we're no longer in danger, alright? I promise."

Gunter nodded approvingly. "Now, if we could get back on track, I do believe our men are waiting for you to lead the charge."

* * *

Corrin scowled and raised Yato in preparation to block a blow from the Vallite in front of him. To his right stood Ryoma, Rajinto held high over his head as its holder squinted at the Vallite in front of him. To Corrin's left stood Xander. Uttering a yell, the Nohrian prince spun Siegfried in a figure-eight formation and slashed the Vallite spearman in front of him, lopping both weapon and holder in half as easily as if he was cutting through grass.

"Corrin!" Gunter shouted. "Pay attention!"

Corrin flinched as a blade descended towards him, its edge nothing more than a flash of light against the gloomy walls of the fort. Corrin parried and stabbed with Yato, shoving the point of the legendary weapon through the Vallite's stomach.

The Vallite dropped his weapon and feebly tried to pull himself off the weapon. With a grunt, Corrin yanked the blade out of the Vallite's stomach. As he was doing so, a Vallite armed with an axe started charging towards him, its axe raised up above its head in preparation to strike a might blow.

Corrin tried to bring Yato up to intercept the blow, but before he was able to move a single inch, a brass naginta suddenly sprouted through the chest of the berserker. As it crumpled, behind it stood Azura, her hair matted with blood.

Corrin let loose a quick smile at Azura, who responded in kind. Normally, Azura was reserved, but whenever she was fighting by Corrin's side, her reserved demeanor vanish, replaced with a determination and ferocity that she rarely displayed elsewhere.

Despite being glad to see her safe, if not thriving, Corrin couldn't help but feel tense about the fact that she was part of the brawl. Corrin knew that he had requested her to be with him personally, but he often found himself fighting his way towards her, if only to make sure she was still safe. Part of Corrin knew that he had nothing to fear. Even though Azura was one of the weaker people in the army physically, her prowess with a naginta was unmatched. Not only that, but Azura often took advantage of her natural fluidity and grace as a songstress and dancer to avoid even the fastest blows, the kind of which even ninjas such as Saizo or Kaze had difficulty evading.

On the other hand, Corrin couldn't help but feel as if something bad would happen to her. Part of him knew that this feeling was only natural. But Corrin still couldn't shake the paranoia that if he lost sight of her for longer than a couple second, he would find her hopelessly maimed or wounded. Corrin flinched as a group of three Vallites in front of him suddenly burst into purple flames, the blades of their weapons reflecting flashes of purple light all around the corridor. Behind Corrin, Leo shouted a series of words, the meaning of which was lost to Corrin. No doubt, they were some sort of spell.

Corrin turned his attention back to the enemies in front of him. Almost as soon as Azura, Leo, Xander, Ryoma, Corrin, Camilla, Silas, Gunter, and the rest of his friends found themselves within the fort where the mage resided, it became obvious that the battle would become more of a rout. Together, they managed to push the Vallites out of the courtyard and into the walls and corridors of the fort.

To the Vallite's credit, despite being outnumbered almost three-to-one, they still put up a token resistance. They refused to retreat until it either became impossible to hold their current location or until they were all slain. They gave ground only when forced and fought with a tenacity that impressed even Leo and Takumi. Because of their determined resistance, Xander, Azura, Leo, Ryoma, and Corrin were unable to easily make their way towards the mage. At first, they were all stunned by the Vallite's resistance until Ryoma hypothesized that due to the mage directly summoning them, these particular Vallites may have some personal allegiance or loyalty towards the mage.

"Then it makes it all the more imperative that we find that mage and kill him!" Xander shouted. Leo, Azura, Silas, and Gunter all uttered war-cries in agreement and continued to push forward.

As they trudged through the seemingly dozens of Vallites, Corrin slowly found himself growing frustrated. For every two Vallites he slew, another three seemed to take their place. Of course, the rational part of Corrin knew that the mage would have a limit to how many Vallites she could summon, but the irrational part of Corrin cried out for the whole melee to end. Their encounters with the Vallites soon devolved into dark and desperate struggles, broken only by the occasional flash of Leo's magic. More than once, Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, Silas, Gunter, Azura, and Leo finished off a group of Vallites and moved on only to find that the mage had somehow managed to summon more Vallites right behind them, right where they had killed the first group.

Still, Corrin and his group always managed to escape permanent injury—through a combination of luck and skill— but such attacks made them all the more cautious and tense than they normally were in battle.

The fifth such confrontation left Corrin so enraged that when the Vallites began to withdraw, no doubt to try and lure then into some sort of trap, Corrin recklessly chased after them, determined to kill them all off. It was only due to Xander and Silas pulling Corrin back that he snapped out of his rage. The whole time, Corrin could feel the draconic part of him yearning to break free and rampage, though Corrin kept repressing it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of fighting, Corrin, Azura, Silas, Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and Gunter found themselves in front a group of twenty or so Vallites. Behind the Vallites stood the mage, his arms raised as if they were preparing to cast some sort of spell. As soon as the mage saw them its arms dropped do its sides.

Corrin's eyes narrowed as he stared at the mage. " _You_ ," he growled.

To his surprise, the mage responded. "Me," he said.

No, not he— _she_.

Corrin could feel the other's shock. "It can talk?" Azura asked.

Though the mage's face was hidden by her hood, Corrin sensed that she was smiling. The mage bowed mockingly.

"On behalf of my king, I welcome you to our hidden kingdom," the mage said. "I do hope you enjoy your stay down here. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave for…quite some time. Kill them."

The Vallites shifted and leveled their spears towards Corrin and his group. As one, they charged. Corrin gritted his teeth as he prepared himself for yet another brawl. Time slowed down for Corrin as he looked at the force before them, thinking of ways for them to circumvent the Vallites.

As long as the Vallite spearmen managed to keep Corrin and his forces in front of them they would never be able to break through. Flanking them would take too long, which meant they had no choice but to fight their way through them. Plus they didn't have the space to fall back and let the archers pick them off anyways. Corrin entertained the idea of transforming into a dragon, but immediately put it out of his mind. If he transformed in here, not only would it be too cramped for him to turn and romp, but any allies caught in the crossfire could end up being targeted as enemies.

Corrin scowled. Frustrated, he raised Yato and shouted, "Stop! Retreat! Benny, Effie! Front and center! Takumi, Setsuna! To the back! Everyone else, get behind Benny and Effie and spread out behind them!" he bellowed.

As Corrin watched his forces break off and struggle to arrange themselves in the order Corrin ordered, he watched the mage watching them fight for a few seconds before ducking into a nearby doorway, along with a couple of Vallites as escort. Corrin felt his temple throb in frustration.

"Hurry!" he bellowed. Finally, once he was satisfied with how they were arranged, Corrin pointed Yato towards the charging spearmen and urged his forces to charge forward.

Effie grunted as the spears created a furrow on her cheek. Benny roared in pain as a spear managed to cut his right thigh. The two of them bellowed like a wounded bear and rammed into the spearheads with their heavy shields, trying to push their way forward. Corrin was dimly aware of people shouting frantically as he reached beneath Benny's massive arm and grabbed one of the spears by the shaft, yanking it out of the grip of whoever was holding it. Corrin flipped the spear around and sheathed Yato. Taking hold of the spear in both hands, Corrin stabbed furiously into the throng of Vallites. Once his arm tired, Corrin took a step back and hurled the spear into the center of the Vallites packed in the archway.

A gap suddenly appeared in the wall of bodies, and Corrin repeated the process four more times, and his throws and stabs eventually reduced the number of soldiers enough that, step by step, Benny and Effie were able to force the mob of Vallites back. Here, Benny, Effie, Takumi, and Setsuna proved to be invaluable. Benny and Effie managed to break through Vallite's lines and earned Corrin, Azura, Silas, Gunter, Xander, and Ryoma enough room to swing their own weapons. Whenever a Vallite fell, with an arrow stuck through their neck, Corrin knew it was the work of either Setsuna or Takumi.

Finally, as soon as Benny and Effie managed to push their way through the Vallites, they turned right back around, forming an unbreakable wall behind the Vallites. The Vallites tried to retreat, only to find themselves pressed up against a set of heavy shields. It soon became a rout after that. In a rush of clanging metal, severed limbs, and shouts, they managed to kill the rest of the Vallites. Usually, combat exhilarated Corrin.

There was something about the rush of combat and flashing steel that made Corrin feel as if he was being showered with a bucket of cold water. It always left him gasping and left him a sense of clarity and purpose unequaled by any other activity. This time, Corrin bent over and rested his hands on his knees, gasping for air. As he tried to catch his breath, Corrin looked around the room, trying to find Azura. To his relief, she appeared unharmed, save for a scratch running across her upper thigh. As he watched Azura test to see how serious the wound was by placing weight on it, Corrin felt a hand lay on his shoulder.

"Well fought, my liege," the gravelly sound of Gunter's voice sounded from behind him..

Gasping for breath, Corrin took Gunter's hand.

"Did…you see…where they…ran off to?" he asked.

Gunter shook his head. Corrin sighed. "Alright then. I guess we'll have to hunt her down," he said dejectedly.

"No, we won't need to," Azura said.

Gunter and Corrin looked at her in confusion. Azura's eyebrows furrowed. "I-I don't know how I know this place, but I feel like I've been here before, a long time ago. If my memory is correct, then the most likely hiding spot for that mage would be in highest room of the fort's tower."

Gunter frowned. "And how do you know that, young lady?" he asked sharply.

Azura frowned. "I-I don't know. It just…feels like I've been here before, in the past." She shrugged. "But trust me, they're going to be in that tower."

Gunter crossed his arms and opened his mouth to voice his objections. Xander interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

"Quiet, Gunter. For every minute we stand here, that's another minute that mage could have taken to summon up another set of guards. Let's get moving if we want to catch and kill that mage."

The group murmured their agreement and they took off running down the corridor.

* * *

At last, after another five minutes of running, fifteen minutes of fighting their way through guards, and another five minutes of running, they found the mage barricaded within the room. With a series of spells from Leo and brute force from Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, and Effie, they disassembled the doors and barricades and flooded into the room.

To their surprise, they had barely slain more than a couple of guards before the rest simultaneously collapsed to the ground, dead. Within a few seconds, all of the resistance that stood between them and the mage all but vanished.

The mage gave them a mock bow again. "So…you are capable of more than I thought," she said mockingly. Takumi conjured an arrow and aimed Fujin Yumi directly towards the mage.

"Careful about what you say. We lost a lot of good people today because of you," he scowled.

The mage smirked and continued undeterred. "Unfortunately, my king has asked for my presence by his side, so I'm afraid I won't be able to guide you and show you the wonders that Valla has to offer."

Takumi let the arrow fly. The mage made no effort to move out of the way or dodge the dart. Instead, she vanished amid a sudden flash of yellow light. As quickly as it appeared, the light vanished. Takumi's arrow flew straight through the space where the mage had once stood and shattered against the wall. Corrin looked around in confusion

"She…just vanished?" he blurted.

Leo blinked the spots out of his eyes. "Apparently. Disappearing into thin air? How unnerving." He sighed and relaxed on his horse.. "Either way, at least it looks like we have a break from fighting."

Takumi shouldered Fujin Yumi as Ryoma patted his shoulder. Turning on Azura, he asked, "Where are we, Azura? Is this the, quote-on-quote, 'bottom' of The Bottomless Canyon?"

Azura nodded. "Yes, it is. We've finally reached the home of our true enemy. This is the Kingdom of Valla," she said.

Xander frowned as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Valla?" he asked.

Azura nodded. "Yes, Valla. Long ago—"

"Hold on a moment," Ryoma blurted. Azura paused and looked at Ryoma with a look of concern.

"Is anything wrong, Lord Ryoma?" Leo asked.

"Where is Scarlet?" he asked. "She wasn't with us when we rushed the fort."

Almost simultaneously, everybody took a sudden interest in their boots. Azura reached up and placed a hand on Ryoma's shoulder. Corrin pursed his lips, hating himself for what he was about to do to his older brother."

"Ryoma…Scarlet is over this way," he murmured.

* * *

They had barely managed to clear the brush aside before Ryoma gasped and rushed forward.

"Ryoma! Wait!" Corrin called, to no avail.

Ryoma knelt down and cradled Scarlet's head, running his fingers through her spiky blonde hair. Corrin was surprised at just how quickly nature had reclaimed her body.

Even though Corrin's limbs felt as if he had gone a week of hard work without proper rest, Corrin knew that it had been less than two hours since they arrived in Valla from The Bottomless Canyon. In that relatively short amount of time, Scarlet's body had taken on a grayish pallor, her trademark spiky blonde hair now flat and limp.

"This…" Ryoma whispered, his voice suspiciously thick. "I can't believe this. How could this happen?" he asked.

Corrin opened his mouth to answer, but the only sound that came out was a choked gurgle. Ryoma closed his eyes and let a single tear fall down his cheek and onto Scarlet's face. Then, just as quickly, he rubbed his eyes and gently laid Scarlet back down on the floor. Standing back up, Ryoma said, "We must give her a proper funeral. It is only proper. It's the least we could do for her."

Quietly, the group murmured their assent. As Leo took Brynhildr out from underneath his armor, Xander laid a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Perhaps we should do this by hand. It'll be more formal and respectful this way," he whispered.

Leo paused for a second, before nodding and putting the tome away. Slowly, almost simultaneously, everybody gathered around Scarlet's body, creating a rough circle. Prayers were said. Hinoka took Ryoma's hand and squeezed it. Leo wrapped an arm around Sakura as she wept. Takumi blinked furiously, trying not to cry.

Xander laid a hand on Ryoma's shoulder, murmuring words of reassurance into his ear. Gunter closed his eyes and made some sort of gesture with his hand. Silas pursed his lips as Camilla leaned on his shoulders, bawling uncontrollably. Azura stood next to Corrin and gently took his hand.

Finally, once Scarlet's body was wrapped in a shroud, the grave was dug, and the tears started to dry, Ryoma cleared his throat. Everybody turned towards him. Clearing his throat again, Ryoma spoke in his low, sonorous voice, "Scarlet Ismiradaughter. My ally. My friend. My…lover," here, Ryoma choked up. "You…were unlike anybody else I had ever met before. I wish…I wish things could have done differently between us."

Raising his voice, Ryoma said, "Even as you shed your mortal body to live among your brothers and sisters in the stars, you leave us with nothing our memories of you. To some, such a gift may mean nothing. To us, however, such a gift means the world to us. To us, it reminds us of your limitless courage, your unmatched liveliness, and of course, it reminds us of your unprecedented rebellious streaks. On my honor, as the high prince of Hoshido, I promise you that your death will not go unchecked. I promise that we will end this war in your name, and I promise that all peoples, whether they are Nohrian, Hoshidan, or some other people from a far distant land, I promise your tale will never be forgotten among them."

Ryoma swallowed. "It's time," he said. Leo and Odin both nodded gravely and raised their arms in preparation to cast a spell.

As they watched Scarlet's shroud inexplicably float into the air and into the grave by itself, Corrin whispered to Azura, "The flower she pinned on her chest plate…it's been burned away."

Azura nodded her head. Xander frowned and turned to look at them. "What are you talking about?"

Corrin rubbed his eyes. "We were the last one's to jump, so nobody saw—" Corrin paused as he saw Ryoma walk away. "Wait, Ryoma!"

Ryoma stopped and turned to look at Corrin. Corrin opened his mouth to speak, but for some reason, no words came out of his mouth. Corrin shook his head as he tried again. "I'm so sorry, Ryoma, but I just want you to know that Scarlet gave her life in service of me. She died protecting me and—."

"Stop," Ryoma ordered. Corrin clamped his mouth shut as he stared at Ryoma.

"Stop, Corrin," he repeated. "Don't say another word. Just…promise me something."

"W-what?" Corrin asked.

"Promise me…that you won't let her sacrifice be in vain. Promise me that," Ryoma said.

Corrin swallowed and gripped Yato's hilt tighter. "Yes. I give my word. I vow on the Yato."


	6. Chapter 6

"So this is Valla?" Xander asked.

Azura nodded. "Yes. I know it can be hard to believe, but Valla used to be a mighty, yet peaceful empire. It was quite friendly with the other kingdoms of the world. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that even royal members from both Hoshido and Nohr would visit Valla," she said.

Ryoma frowned and shifted on the barrel he was sitting. The seven of them, Azura, Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Leo, Takumi, and Gunter were all either sat or stood around an old rickety table. While clearing out the remaining Vallites in the fort, Corrin, Leo, and Xander chanced upon this particular room, which appeared to be the mage's own personal command center before she escaped. Once they were done clearing out the fort, Azura had asked them to meet her in this particular room.

Azura herself was standing at the head of the table, which was an unusually bold move for the quiet princess. Xander and Gunter elected to stand by the edges of the table, their arms crossed as they stared at Azura. Leo immediately took an interest in the maps sprawls across the table and gathered a pile of them and sat himself down in one of the corners of the room. Takumi stood moodily by the window, Fujin Yumi resting gently against the wall. Ryoma decided to choose to sit on a rickety looking old wooden barrel, which squealed in protest every time Ryoma moved. As for Corrin, he stood by the doorway, looking unusually grim, his arms crossed.

Ryoma rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed in thought. "That's odd. I've never even heard of such a land." He looked back up at Azura and planted his hand on his knees. "Are you implying that my father, or even King Garon, knew about this land?"

Azura nodded. "Of course. In fact, your Hoshidan Throne of Truth was a gift from the former Vallite king, King Theophilus. Of course, that was before the Silent Dragon, Anankos, usurped the throne. Once Anankos seized power, this land was changed."

Gunter frowned and glared at Azura. "How is it that you know so much about this kingdom?"

Over by the doorway, Corrin shifted uneasily. Azura felt uneasy herself, but she said, "I suppose I should explain that, as well. But first, I would like you to follow me. There is something I wish for you to see. Can you all please meet me in the courtyard? In front of the statue?" she asked.

Leo grudgingly packed up the maps and scrolls he was studying and stuffed them unceremoniously in his bag. Xander helped Ryoma, who was still a little distraught and shell-shocked after Scarlet's death, to his feet. Gunter gave Azura a pointed glare before leaving the room. As Azura prepared to follow them out, a hand suddenly wrapped around her forearm. Azura flinched, but quickly relaxed once she realized the hand belonged to Corrin. As Azura looked at him, she was surprised to see worry in his red eyes.

"Is there anything wrong, Corrin?" she asked softly, so that the others wouldn't overhear.

Corrin looked towards the doorway, checking to make sure everyone was out of earshot, before whispering, "Azura, I just want to let you know that Gunter…sort of hates you right now."

Azura frowned. "W-why would he hate me?" she asked.

Corrin sheepishly grinned. "Well, I suspect it may have something to do with us fawning over each other last battle, before we attacked the fort," he said.

Azura blushed as she realized what he was talking about. She opened her mouth to speak but Corrin interrupted her by lifting up a finger and placing it on her lips. "In any case, be careful of how you portray yourself. I know Gunter will never lift a finger against you unless provoked, but if he has even the slightest suspicion that you're against us, we'll both be in a lot of trouble," he said.

Azura blinked. "Why would he think that?" she asked.

Corrin glanced towards the doorway again. "I don't know. I'm guessing it's because he's loyal to fault, but I shudder to think about the other possibility."

Azura frowned again. "What's the other possibility?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head. "I don't know myself. In either case, I really hate to think about it, especially right now, after Scarlet."

Azura shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. In any case, we should probably get a move on. I'm sure they're waiting for us already."

* * *

"Huh," Xander said.

Leo squinted up at the statue. "Xander, this statue….do you recognize it?" he asked.

The statue was incredibly eroded and had a tree growing up around it. Somehow, the tree managed to grow up and around the main feature of the statue, creating a near perfect circle. Nestled with the bole was a carving of a dragon that held the end of its tail next to its mouth, as if it was curling up inside the tree.

Xander frowned as he rubbed his chin and stared at it. "Yes…it looks almost identical to that statue Father worships," he said, troubled.

"That…is a statue of Anankos, the Silent Dragon," Azura said.

Xander, Leo, Ryoma, and Gunter turned around to see Azura padding softly towards them, with Corrin following close behind.

"Anankos?" Leo asked.

"As you know, each of the kingdoms has a dragon associated with it," Azura continued. "Hoshido," she gestured towards Ryoma, "has the Dawn Dragon." She gestured towards Xander, "Nohr had the Dusk Dragon. Valla has Anankos, the Silent Dragon."

Azura gestured towards the statue. "Anankos was gifted with many gifts, including both unlimited knowledge and foresight. He was also the dragon that sacrificed his blood to the ancient Vallites," Azura said.

Xander frowned and rubbed his chin again, the crinkle between his eyes deepening. "What? But then…why would Father worship this…Anankos, instead of the Dusk Dragon?" he asked.

Corrin sighed and laid a hand on Leo and Xander's shoulders. "I'm sorry that we have to tell you this right now, but I'm afraid there's anything left of King Garon," he said.

Ryoma shifted and crossed his arms uneasily. "What do you mean? Are you saying that the man who sits on that throne…"

Azura nodded. "One of Anankos' gifts was the ability to possess people and reanimate and control the bodies of the dead. Even his mere presence, if only for a short time, is incredibly corrupting. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it's only Anankos' magic that's keeping him together. To Anankos, your king is nothing more than a pawn, a servant."

Xander rubbed his temples. "I don't—I can't—"

"Anankos is using your father, or what's left of him, as a puppet to create wars and destroy the world" Azura said gently, laying a hand on Xander's other shoulder.

Leo scratched his head. "I don't believe it, but Father's recent behavior has done nothing to prove the contrary. If anything, it's proving your point." Leo suddenly pounded his fist into his other hand, an expression of anger on his face. "Damn that dragon! Why is he doing this to us?"

Saddened, Azura said, "I don't know why exactly, but my strongest guess at this point is because he sees Nohr and Hoshido as potential threats to Valla. If he can manage to conquer or ruin them, the other, smaller, kingdoms would have no chance of standing against him. I'm certain that all of us here have fought against invisible enemies outside Valla?"

Everyone grudgingly nodded, except for Leo who raised his hand. "Why are they invisible anyways?"

"These enemies are Vallites, soldiers of Valla and servant to Anankos. With his magic, Anankos is able to send them anywhere in the world and have them create destruction on an untold level. With them, he is able to orchestrate attacks on both Hoshido and Nohr and blame the other for their transgression," Azura explained. "That is why—"

"—and that's why we launched real attacks on each other, because we thought it was the other kingdom's fault!" Xander exclaimed.

"Exactly like what happened in Cyrkensia!" Leo said, understanding dawning on his face.

"And in order to bring peace between our two nations, we have to defeat this Anankos?" Ryoma asked.

Azura nodded. "Correct. That's our ultimate goal."

Gunter frowned. "I have only two questions, Lady Azura. Firstly, what is Anankos' intent? And secondly, since you know so much about these events, who are you, really?"

Azura pursed her lips. "I don't know what Anankos' true intentions are beyond trying to create wars between Hoshido and Nohr, and ultimately destroying the world. Anankos is insane, so I doubt even he knows why he's doing the things he does anymore. But as for me, this may come as a shock, but I am…a princess of Valla."

Everybody gaped at her.

" _What?_ " Xander asked.

Ryoma blinked. "Wait, so, then, you're originally from here? From Valla? Belonging to the royal family, no less?"

Takumi turned towards Corrin. "Did you know about this?" he asked.

Corrin slowly nodded his head.

"Why didn't you say something then? Takumi yelled.

Azura placed a hand on Takumi's shoulder. "Please don't yell. I asked him specifically to not tell anyone."

Takumi grudgingly sat back down on his log and silently glared at Corrin and Azura. Azura looked around at them. "I'm sorry for not telling any of you beforehand, but—"

Ryoma sliced his hand through the air. "Explain yourself," he interrupted. "Leave nothing out," he ordered.

Azura swallowed. "Yes, I belonged to a royal family, though there is no royal family to belong to. Anankos was the one responsible for killing my father, laying waste to Valla, and starting the wars between Hoshido and Nohr. When Anankos turned on Valla, my mother took me and fled. Everything I just told you about Valla, I learned from my mother."

Xander frowned. "I'm getting lost here. Maybe you should go back as far as you can, and tell us the story from there."

Azura sighed. "Very well then. You'd best take a seat then…"

* * *

"Much of what I say was either speculation, due to the destruction of most Valla's library's and scholarly places during Anankos' takeover. The rest is solely what my mother, Arete, told me as I was growing up in Nohr," Azura began.

"Long ago, there was a devastating war between what would later become Nohr and Hoshido. Refugees from both sides fled the conflict, and through some stroke of luck, they met a deity. This deity's name was Anankos. Using the Bottomless Canyon, Anankos brought the refugees into a previously unknown land. The refugees quickly founded their own kingdom, a unique mixture between both Hoshido and Nohr, and they called it Valla. In exchange for them being allowed and protected here in Valla, the people swore to honor Anankos forever, and for a long time, all was well."

Azura paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. She never enjoyed retelling the history of Valla, since it always brought up memories of her mother.

"As time passed, people began to fear and lose faith in Anankos, and for a good reason. He had an immense of power at his disposal, a sort of power that no human could ever hope to match. Even though most dragons take no interest in the meddling of us humans, Anankos always made time to make an appearance in court, and he was always a welcome and trusted advisor to the royal family. But that all changed as people slowly began to worship Anankos out of fear, not respect. Anankos was aware of these feelings, and slowly, his appearances in Valla's court slowly faded into nonexistence, and he retreated to dwell on his madness within his own privacy. Never did he forget the people's fear and distrust of him, and it seemed to drive him mad.

"It was nearly fifty years since his last visit that Anankos deemed himself appropriate to visit my mother and my father. My father, King Theophilus, was a good friend to Anankos, and was one of the few humans who were able to speak to him without sending the dragon into a rage. Unlike previous visits, this time, he appeared as a dragon, not a human. He had long shed his human form. Instead, he landed outside the palace walls and commanded my mother and father to bow before him and set in place a variety of policies that would ultimately end up isolating Valla from the rest of the world. At first, my father was reluctant to imprison his own people, but it was here that Anankos turned his friendship against him. He flew off in a fit of rage and destroyed a forest responsible for producing much of Valla's food and lumber.

"The destruction of such a bountiful place turned the people against Anankos, and they urged Theophilus to seek him out and make him pay for the destruction. Theophilus refused to take revenge against Anankos, but he agreed to meet with Anankos, hoping that he would be able to ease the dragon's madness and to beg for his aid. At the very least, he hoped that mere mention of his visit would be able to motivate the people into working again. But he never returned."

Azura dropped her voice into a low whisper, so that everybody had to lean forward to hear her words. "Once the people realized that Anankos was responsible for the death of Theophilus, they revolted and tried to kill Anankos. In his rage, Anankos cast three spells. The first was responsible for wiping all knowledge of Valla and its people from the rest of the world, including all written records and living memories. The second was used to raise a barrier between Valla and the rest of the world, so that it was impossible to travel to Valla unless you went through the Bottomless Canyon. Only those with Vallite blood, such as myself, are able to use water to travel freely back and forth."

Here, Corrin interrupted. "Wait, then how am I able to use this method then? I'm pretty sure that I'm not a Vallite, yet I'm somehow able to travel using water."

Azura shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps it has something to do with you being part dragon. After all, your dragon is typically associated with water, is it not?"

Azura continuing with her story, she said, "The second spell erased all record and memories of Valla outside of its borders. The third was cast to curse the name of the kingdom, so that it may never be said outside of Valla. Doing so would cause your body to disappear and vanish, killing you."

Ryoma rubbed his chin. "So this land has a curse placed upon it?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes. That was why I couldn't explain anything until we got here."

Xander shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this is all real: the story of a hidden kingdom, Hoshido and Nohr working together, Azura being a Vallite princess." Xander looked at Corrin and Azura. "Then our mission is clear. We must unite to defeat Anankos."

Ryoma nodded. "Yes. Hoshido and Nohr, working together towards a common goal…"

Xander glanced at Ryoma out the corner of his eye. "Is something bothering you, Ryoma?"

Ryoma crossed his arms, his mouth set in a grim frown. "Actually, yes. I've been thinking that—"

Ryoma was suddenly interrupted by a voice screaming for help. Corrin, Xander, Leo, Gunter, Ryoma, and Azura all instantly stood up, looking around for the source of the cry. Suddenly, Corrin pointed at the gate.

"Look! Over there! On the other side of the gate!" he shouted.

The person, which looked to be nothing more than a young boy, ran to the portcullis and desperately banged on the gate. Behind him, a couple of Vallite swordsmen appeared, their eyes blank as they slowly approached the boy. The boy looked back, saw the approaching Vallites, and proceeded to bang on the gate even harder.

"Please! Help me!" he pleaded.

Azura watched them struggle to raise the portcullis as Corrin reached desperately through the holes as he tried to reassure the boy that everything would be fine. For whatever reason, the Vallites continued to advance slowly, their feet dragging in the dirt as they slowly raised their weapons.

"Hurry!" Corrin shouted to Ryoma and Xander.

The two men gritted their teeth and continued to turn the lever controlling the portcullis as perspiration dripped down their faces. Finally, once there was a sizable gap underneath, Corrin called out, "Quickly! Crawl under the gate!"

The boy instantly dropped to the floor and awkwardly tried to crawl under the gate. Right as one of the Vallites managed to grab one of the boy's ankles, Xander and Ryoma released the lever, allowing the portcullis the fall back down. The Vallite withdrew its hand a split second before the gate settled. The two swordsmen shook their fists at them, and with the same blank expression, slowly shambled back into the woods.

Corrin knelt down. "Are you alright?" he asked the boy.

The boy nodded. "Yes! Thank you for saving me! Man, I can't believe I actually found you guys! I've been searching for you people for such a long time. You would not believe how long I've been—"

Corrin raised his hands and grinned. "Alright, hold on now. Slow down. Tell us your name, first of all, and where did you come from?"

The boy flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. My name is Anthony and I used to serve as a page to the ruler of Valla."

Azura frowned. "You were…a page to Anankos?" she asked uncertainly.

Anthony furiously nodded his head. "Yes, yes! What remains of the people are trapped here, unable to leave. Everyone here is forced to as his slaves. I used to serve by his side, but lately…he's been acting strange. There was just  _something_  about him that I could stand, so after many months and lots of careful planning, I was able to escape. Before I left, however, I heard rumors that there was a group of foreigners had somehow managed to enter Valla and were intending on planning to overthrow him, so I decided to try and find you guys and offer you information on how to overthrow him and whatnot!"

Azura nodded slowly. "Well, that explains why his forces are trying to chase you. As a page, you would be privy to nearly all of his secrets. But tell us, if you were indeed a page to Anankos, do you know where he is?"

Anthony nodded again. "Yes, of course! I spent years serving him!"

Takumi clapped Leo on the shoulder, much to the latter's irritation. "Alright! We'll be able to finally track him down!" he said jubilantly.

Anthony blanched. "Wait, what? Are you mad?" he exclaimed.

Everybody looked back at Anthony in surprise. Anthony blushed again. "S-sorry. I didn't mean any offense, but why would you want to meet him?"

Corrin shrugged. "Well, 'defeat' would be a more accurate term. Anthony, I know this is a lot to ask of you, especially since we just met, but could you lead us to where Anankos is?"

Anthony somehow turned even paler. "D-defeat him? I don't think that's possible! Y-you see, he's just too powerful! Plus, I just barely managed to escape with my life! And now you want me to take you back there?" he said.

Corrin placed a hand on Anthony's shoulder and looked him the eyes. "Please, Anthony. We can't do this without your help. I'm sorry to ask this so soon, but if you take us to him and we somehow managed to defeat him, I promise that you won't have to worry about him ever again."

Anthony looked down at his feet and kicked the floor bashfully. Corrin knelt down. "Please. Help us," he whispered.

Anthony sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll help you. Truth be told, I was getting tired of running anyways. If you really want to know where Anankos is right now, he's set himself up in nearly impenetrable stone palace."

"And what is this stone palace called?" Corrin asked.

"Gyges," Anthony said. "Castle Gyges."

 


	7. Chapter 7

That night, dreams blurred and roiled within Azura's mind, each breeding and living by their own set of laws. 

_A lake glistening underneath the sun._

_A dragon standing proudly in the middle of a destroyed city-plaza, roaring with grief and anguish._

_Castle Gyges burning, a thick black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air._

_A flash of light as a golden sword—Yato— burst into flames, its edges surrounded with its divine fire._

_A crowd cheering, their voices tainted with outrage as they threw whatever they could get their hands on at a single man shuffling towards a set of gallows._

_A baby's cry echoed throughout a nursery as its mother gently coddled it._

_Anankos glaring at single figure running towards him, white hair and blue cloak flapping behind it ran, his numerous eyes full of murder and malevolence._

_A hooded man standing between two doors, a congenial smile on his face. T_

_he hooded man opened his eyes to reveal Azura' pendant in one, and a brilliant blue dragonstone within the other._

_A man knelt before a woman, a ring made of onyx and diamonds, a sapphire beset within its head glistening in the sunset._

* * *

Azura's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, panting for breath. To her left, Elise yelped and groaned in discomfort.

"Oww…" she moaned, rubbing her cheek where Azura's leg had snapped forward, smacking her in the face.

Azura's eyes widened. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! Are you alright Elise?" she asked. She ran cupped her step-sister's cheeks in her hands, turning her about to check for bruises.

Sure enough, a dull purple blotch was already starting form on her dainty cheeks. Elise grimaced as Azura touched a particularly sensitive spot on her bruise.

"Ow! Stop it! That hurts!" she exclaimed, smacking Azura's hands away from her.

Azura hastily withdrew her hands. "S-sorry," she apologized. "I-I just didn't expect, er, I'm not really  _used_  to sleeping with…people, I guess."

Nobody had been willing to sleep in the fort, especially one where their enemies had just been occupying, but after Anthony revealed that Castle Gyges was a surprisingly short amount of distance away from the fort, they decided to remain in the fort and use it as a temporary base of operations. Laslow's, Severa's, and Odin's "acquaintance" showed up a couple hours later, bringing with them what remained of the army. Of the original thousands or so men, barely more than a few hundred had survived the trek to the fort; they immediately prioritized the wounded.

That meant most of the rooms were rented out to the healers and their patients, whereas everyone was forced to either sleep on the fort's battlements or in the courtyard, neither of which was very appealing. Luckily, Takumi  _suggested_  that the royals should each have their own private rooms, on account of their elevated status.  _That_ idea was almost immediately shot down, but then Xander suggested that they could share, three people to a room.

While none of them were very happy about taking away space from the healers and the wounded, none of them, Corrin and Azura included, really wanted to sleep in the courtyard. Thus, the idea was accepted and they all went their own separate ways. The only exception to this rule was Corrin, who insisted on taking the highest room in the fort's tower, where they had fought the mage. Nobody argued, since typically, sleeping in the same room where your opponent disappeared was what most would call  _a terrible idea._

Corrin simply shrugged and hefted his bedroll up the stairs. Meanwhile, Elise, Sakura, Hinoka, and Camilla decided to all bunk together. Azura thought about asking Ryoma, Leo, Xander, and Takumi if she could bunk with them before almost immediately rescinding the question.

The only possible solution besides sleeping next to Camilla and Elise was to sleep with Corrin, and quite frankly…Azura wasn't  _quite_  ready for that yet.  _Yet_.

Elise pouted and rubbed her cheek. "Yeah, well, I guess it's alright." She lifted a finger and waved it threateningly. "Just don't kick me again, you hear me?"

Camilla moaned and turned over, her trademark purple hair hiding her eyes as she stretched. On the other side of her, Hinoka and Sakura continued to sleep soundly— or in the case of Hinoka, snoring loudly.

"Now, now," Camilla chided. "Be nice to your sister, Elise. You know how her nighttime spasms are out of control."

Azura nodded gratefully "Thank you, Camilla, but honestly, I'm really sorry, Elise. I didn't mean to—" Azura paused midsentence, her mouth open in protest. "Wait what? What do you mean by 'spasm'? I do  _not_  spasm! I just have…trouble falling asleep sometimes, that's all!"

Camilla lazily opened an eye and brushed aside her hair. "Please, we all know how destructive you can be in your sleep, at that's not even taking your hair in the mornings into consideration. You know, I heard some people say that when it comes to a 'Who is More Destructive?' contest between you and Felicia, you would undoubtedly win when it comes to bedroom business. Speaking of which, we can all hear your cot squeaking and creaking at night back in Corrin's castle. At first, I thought it was something else entirely, but then I realized how tired you seem every morning. You kicking Elise merely added more firewood to the bonfire," she said nonchalantly.

Azura glared at Camilla before tugging her blanket up to her chin and over her head, covering her entirely. The blanket smelled like the underside of a sheep's stomach, but at least she didn't have to put up with the teasing.

Elise pouted. "Aw…I think you made her mad, Camilla" she whispered.

Camilla didn't respond but Azura felt a hand rest on her head. "Alright, alright, Azura. I'm sorry. Your spasms aren't really spasms. They're more like really violent tossings. I know what you're going through right now, and quite frankly, nobody could blame you for being in this situation."

Azura did not reply but drew the blanket around her tighter. Camilla sighed and patted her head again. "Trust us. All of that was in good fun. We're all happy for both you and Corrin, and we both have an idea of what you're feeling right now. Coming back to a kingdom you were forced to leave? Being forced to usurp a dragon? I know our experiences weren't as… _extreme_  as yours, but we both know how you're feeling."

Azura did not respond but continued to wrap herself in the blanket. Camilla and Elise both looked at each other and gave a small giggle. Azura yelped as she felt the bedroll underneath her being wrenched out, leaving her sprawled out on the floor in her nightgown, revealing…well, everything. Azura hastily pushed the hemline down to preserve some of her dignity. Annoyed and shivering from the contact with the cold stone floor, Azura wrapped the blanket beneath herself before glaring at Camilla and Elise and trying to reach for the bedroll without actually moving.

The two of them looked at Azura, looked back at each other, and looked back at Azura before simultaneously bursting into laughter. On the far side of the room, Hinoka gave another snore, and Sakura sleepily sat up, yawning.

"What…what's going on?" she said blearily.

Elise jumped up and hid behind Sakura. "Well, I was sleeping, and then Azura kicked me in the face! And then Camilla woke up, and she said that Azura liked to spasm in her sleep, and they she hid underneath her blanket, and then we pulled the mattress out from under her, and now she's really mad!" she said excitedly.

Sakura gave a small smile, though it quickly faded as she saw the glowering head of Azura sticking out from beneath her blanket-cone. Sakura shook her head before laying back down.

"I  _do not_  spasm," Azura growled.

Camilla gave a small laugh and pushed her over. "C'mon, Azura. Loosen up a little bit. I know we're in a war and about to fight a dragon, but sometimes, we just need to have a little bit of fun, every once in a while, you know? Like girl-on-girl time!"

Azura made a sound of indignation as she snatched the bedroll dangling out Elise's hands. "How could—? How do—?  _Why?_ ," she stammered.

Camilla sighed and rolled her eyes. "You  _are_  too easy. You're just like Corrin, sometimes!" she gushed. Azura did not reply but placed the bedroll back under herself and laid back down. With a huff of air, she turned around so that she faced the wall.

Elise sighed and gently shook Azura's shoulders. "C'mon, big sis! Don't stay mad at us!"

"Go away," Azura grumbled.

"I'll do your hair for you in the morning," Elise said in a sing-song voice.

"No. Go away."

"I'll take you to Corrin.  _Right now_ ," she said in the same sing-song voice.

Azura hesitated for a moment. "No…"

"You sure? You sounded like you really wanted to see big brother!" Elise said.

"Stop it."

Azura pursed her lips and shoved her head underneath her pillow. Her hair would pay for it in the morning, and having a thin layer of cloth between you and the cold stone floor wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but Azura would gladly taken it over her siblings' teasing. Truth be told, Azura actually  _wanted_  to be with Corrin right now.

In the past few weeks, they've done nothing but grow ever closer. It was only in the last month before the invasion that Azura actually  _felt_  anything whenever she was with Corrin. She couldn't describe it exactly what it was, but it was a sort of  _yearning,_  the good kind of hunger that made you want more, not the kind that drained you of your vitality and life.

At first, Azura was hesitant to follow through on such emotions. After all, they had only been courting for barely less than half a year, and besides, when would they ever have time? Azura herself was just too shy and reserved to go up to Corrin and blatantly tell him what she wanted, and Corrin often found himself stuck in war meetings for sometimes half the day.

Azura sighed and turned over, doing her best to block out the giggling. Eventually, Camilla and Elise both gave up, and they slowly fell back asleep. As soon as Azura heard their snores, she silently rose up from underneath her blankets, covered herself appropriately, grabbed a long cloak made of some leathery hide, and padded silently to the door. She only paused before opening the door, waiting for Hinoka's snore to drown out the squeaking.

It took a couple snores, but at last, Azura was able to successfully exit the room without rousing her sisters. As she slowly closed the door, she blessed herself that she still retained her sneakiness from her childhood. She silently padded down the hallway, taking care to make sure her footsteps fall as quietly as she could and to avoid any sentries. It wasn't long before she found herself at the base of the stairs leading to Corrin's room. Azura sighed and hitched up her nightgown as she slowly and silently climbed the steps.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Camilla and Elise both giggled and gave each other a knowing smile.

* * *

_Knock knock._

Corrin's eyes snapped open as he his arm jerked forward, knocking over the open ink bottle in front of him, causing the black liquid to spread over the table. Corrin cursed and tore his shirt off his chest as he tried to stymie the flow of ink spreading across the table. A breeze blowing in through the open window picked up one of the maps and promptly slapped Corrin in the face, obscuring his vision. Corrin cursed again and tore the map off his face. He gritted his teeth as a second set of  _knocks_  rapped against the door. He stomped over to it, his fists clenched.

"For the  _last_  time, Anthony," he started. "It's alright! I don't need your help looking at maps, and you don't need to come apologizing to me every couple of minutes, so could you—"

Corrin's breath caught in his throat as he threw open the door.

"Azura?" he said in surprise. "Oh, erm, Azura! What're you doing here? Is there something wrong?"

Azura rose an eyebrow quizzedly and pointed at Corrin's face and bare chest. "What happened to you?" she asked.

Corrin laughed sheepishly and grimaced. "Oh, um, nothin!" he stammered. "I just...had an accident with my ink jar on my table," he explained, shrugging as if it was a mere inconvenience.

Azura frowned and pushed past him into the room. She stooped to pick up a pencil and picked up Corrin's ink-sodden shirt with the end of it. "I don't think this is a mere 'accident,'" she said.

Corrin raised and lowered his right shoulder ruefully. "Eh, it's nothing, really." Corrin soon became self-conscious of his naked chest as a particularly cold breeze blew into the room/ He shivered involuntarily, but Azura noticed and frowned.

"You really need to learn when to close your window," she said as she crossed to the other side of the room. As she pushed the latch closed, she added, "But in all honesty, please, leave the shirt off." Azura felt herself blush as she glanced at Corrin's chiseled torso. "It really...makes your scar stand out."

Corrin froze in the middle of pulling another shirt over his head. His hand unconsciously moved down to the scar on his belly, where a Faceless had managed to impale and stab him with a sword stuck through its gut.

"Oh! Um, if you want," he stammered.

Corrin pulled the shirt off his head and sloppily folded it into a square, like what he had seen Jakob or Flora do so many times before. To his frustration, though, no matter what he tried, the shirt refused to fold neatly and he tossed it into his bag. He turned to look at Azura, who was busy quietly and efficiently cleaning up the mess on his desk. She dabbed at the ink puddle with a rag that she had picked up off the floor, humming absentmindedly to herself.

Corrin smacked himself in the forehead with his hand. Why didn't  _he_  use the rag? It was sitting there the whole time, wasn't it? Corrin smiled and shook his head as he watched Azura work. He walked over to her and tried to straighten up the books before he felt Azura's hands wrap themselves around his wrist. He looked at Azura in confusion.

She smiled at him and pushed him away from the desk, waving her hand dismissively. "You should sleep," she said. "Let me clean this up for you. Just go and take a break. We've been through a lot today."

Corrin scoffed and wrapped an arm around her. "Oh please," he said. "Today wasn't  _that_  bad. I mean, sure, I only almost died a couple times, but that's to be expected, seeing that we're in a war, after all," he said lightheartedly.

Azura frowned and crossed her arms. "How do you do it?" she asked.

Corrin blinked. "What...do you mean? What do I do?"

Azura sighed and waved her dismissively. "I mean, how do you stay so cheerful and optimistic and...and...and so  _energetic_  all the time?" she asked.

Corrin's brow furrowed as his face hardened. Azura hastily added, "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, t-that's fine, I mean, I would understand if you didn't want to talk about it."

Corrin shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. It's just that..." Corrin paused to take a breath. "It's just that I never expected for all of this to start off this badly. I mean, I know Scarlet's death was part of it, but I'm talking about something else. Something...deeper and older than that."

"Oh."

Azura felt Corrin's arm fall limply off her shoulders as he slumped onto his cot. He sighed and pushed his hair back. "I didn't know," he said flatly.

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know what?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged halfheartedly. "I didn't know how all of this would be like this," he said. He vaguely gestured with his hands towards the room and window. "This. Valla. Being outcasted by both Hoshido and Nohr in the beginning. Sometimes, I wonder what would've happened if I  _did_  die in that explosion. I-I mean, I know that if I had been killed that day,we would've never been able to unite Hoshido and Nohr to stop Anankos, but still...I wonder if had I been killed in that explosion, would all of these deaths been avoided? All these people who were forced to travel down to Valla for our cause only to die a senseless death against an enemy they know nothing about?"

Azura pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond. She wanted to plant her hands on her hips and say _That's ridiculous. We need you._  Usually, Corrin preferred her bluntness, but in moments like these, Azura could actually see the light flickering out in Corrin's eyes; so she walked over to him and tried to sit next to him. Corrin automatically scooted over to make room for her. Azura put a hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"You shouldn't think about things like that, Corrin," she said. "Trust me, I know what you're feeling, and it's this thing called 'survivor's guilt.' Anankos  _used_  Garon to send you to Hoshido so that he could kill you, that is true, but he only tried to kill you because you were a  _credible_  threat to him and his plans. "

Corrin opened his mouth to object but Azura interjected by placing a finger on his lips. "Just listen," she hushed. "I know what you're feeling right now: all these feelings of stress and anxiety and guilt of you senselessly leading people to their deaths. You have to remember that they all signed up to be soldiers for the sole purpose of laying their lives down in order to protect their country, and if Anankos is threatening their country, you can be damn well sure that these soldiers will lay down their lives without hesitation. Feeling like you shouldn't be the leader of our forces and loathing yourself isn't going to help the people who need you to be strong right now."

"I-I can't—"

Azura tightened her grip on Corrin's shoulder, causing him to grimace and flex away. Azura loosened her grip and apologized. "Sorry. Point is, everyone who followed you here  _wanted_  to be here. True, some of them might be scared, but that's no reason so let your hopes down just because one or two men in a group of a hundred feel so. I don't know how this is all going to end, but I know for sure that you should do your best to be ready for anything, and let fate decide for you. Let fate choose the path for you to take, and pick up the pieces after it's all over."

Corrin said nothing but hunched his shoulders, staring intensely at the ground beneath his feet. Azura rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his body shaking, ever so slightly.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Corrin sat back up and looked at Azura, the light in his eyes whole and unbroken once again. He took Azura's hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. He lowered his head and rested it against her chest.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Azura's breath caught in her throat as she felt Corrin's hair tickle her neck. She smiled and absentmindedly stroked the back of Corrin's head.

"You still haven't told me how you acted so optimistic and energetic all the time."

The words were out before Azura could stop them, and she kicked herself mentally.  _Stupid!_

Corrin simply lifted his head, shrugged and looked away. "I don't know. I just... _do._  I thought that if I lifted everybody's spirits around me, I would lift my own too, I guess," he said.

Suddenly, he chuckled and shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Turns out, the best way for me to deal with these kinds of problems is to talk to you, Azura." she said.

Azura blinked in confusion before realizing. She smiled at him. "Of course," she said. "That's why we're together, is it not?"

Corrin laughed and stood back up. Azura remained sitting on the bed, her hands on her lap. Corrin turned to look at her, the light in his eyes strong and unified once again.

"You never did tell me the  _real_  reason you wanted to see me. You just sort of barged in here and proceeded to give me a lesson on psychology," he said, waggling a finger at her.

Azura laughed and waved a finger haughtily at Corrin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked before pursing her lips. "Well, I mean the truth was that I sort of had a bad nightmare and…I couldn't really sleep, especially after I accidentally kicked Elise in the face…cause, you know, bad nightmare?" she said.

Corrin crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "What…kind of nightmare?" he said suspiciously.

Azura shuddered involuntarily. "I…don't know" she said slowly, rubbing her shoulders. "I mean, it wasn't really  _nightmare_  nightmares, per se, but it certainly was…odd."

Curious, Corrin crossed over to her and sat down next to her again,the bed creaking as it took Corrin's weight. "Oh? How so?" he asked gently.

Azura shrugged. "I can't really explain it. It was sort of like a series of visions of things happening, like I saw a lake, and then I saw Anankos, but then there were other things too, like a set of gallows, I think? I don't know. Quite frankly, I barely remember most of them, all I know was that It was weird."

Corrin nodded slowly and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. For a second, Azura had the ridiculous image of Corrin with a full beard smoking a pipe as he leaned back on a rickety old chair. Before she could stop herself, Azura let out a small giggle. Corrin turned to look at her, perplexed.

"What? What's so funny" he asked.

Azura felt the mirth die inside of her as she turned away. "Nothing," she said flatly. "I just had a ridiculous image in my head, and I thought it was funny, but now its not," she said.

Corrin did not respond but Azura could feel the bed move under her as Corrin scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her midriff. Azura resisted for a second before surrendering and lifting her arms to let Corrin fully wrap himself around her.

Azura tensed as she felt Corrin's lips next to her ear as he whispered. " _Tell me."_

Azura sighed and sank into his body. "Fine," she pouted. "I had an image in my head, for a second, of you with a beard, stroking it ever so gently, while you smoked a pipe and leaned back in a chair in some rural countryside." She said. "That's it. That's all there was."

Azura felt Corrin's breath rush past her ear as he chuckled. "Really? Is that all there was?" he said.

Azura felt herself blush and covered her face with her hands. "Stop!" she said. "That's why I didn't want to you! I knew you were going to laugh at me for thinking something so mundane was so funny!" she said.

Corrin grinned and planted a kiss in her hair. "Azura, I promise that I wasn't laughing  _at_  you, I was laughing  _with_  you," he explained.

Azura said nothing but peeked at Corrin through her fingers curiously. "What do you mean?" she said.

Corrin laughed again and squeezed her midriff apologetically. "I mean, to be honest, one of the things I want to do after this is all over is to grow a beard. Not a huge, thick one, but a small, scruffy one, so that I could feel something was there whenever I rubbed my chin," he said.

Azura dropped her hands from her face. "That…would be wonderful," she said. "But I would much rather prefer to see you clean-shaven."

Corrin grinned "Why? I thought you just said you would like me to have a beard?"

Azura huffed, though it was clear she was enjoying the conversation. "No, no, I was saying that I found the  _image_  of you having a beard and smoking a pipe in some faraway countryside to funny. I never said that I wanted you to actually  _grow_ a beard!"

Corrin smiled and squeezed her again. "Well, then, you should've been clear about it," he said jokingly. He touched his chin. "I mean, if you  _really_  wanted me to grow one, I  _could."_

Azura rolled her eyes. "No, its fine," she said curtly.

Corrin playfully squeezed Azura's knee, right where she was ticklish the most. Azura yelped and squirmed away, clumsily batting aside Corrin's hands. " _Corrin, stop,_ " she said, exasperated.

Corrin chuckled and continued to tickle her. "C'mon!" he said. "Just say you want me to grow a beard, and I can do it right here and now, right under your nose!"

Azura managed to push Corrin's hand away from her knee and pushed Corrin off the bed. " _Corrin,"_ she said again, more harshly this time.

Corrin laughed out loud this time and giddily kissed her cheek. Azura huffed and crossed her arms, but it was clear by the small smile she had on her face that she was enjoying every moment. Despite her harsh tone, she wasn't angry. Corrin apologized anyways and gave her another apologetic kiss on her cheek walking back to the desk to finish cleaning up the mess.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you. All I'm saying, is if you  _really_  wanted me to grow a beard, I—" Corrin paused midsentence to let out a yawn. "—can grow one for you."

Azura smiled. "I'd like to see you try,"

Corrin frowned. "Hey….don't underestimate my ability to grow facial hair."

He dabbed ineffectually at the ink puddle, before finally giving up at throwing his ink-saturate shirt into the corner of the room. Azura looked at him quizzedly.

"What happened?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "Eh, it's not that important."

He waved a hand dismissively towards her. "You should get some sleep, Azura."

Azura frowned. "What about you? You take the longest out of anybody to get up in the army,  _and_  we need you to be alert tomorrow."

Corrin frowned and glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "Well, I promise you that after I finish whatever I was doing, I 'll go to bed, alright?"

Azura stared at him and stood up. She walked over to Corrin. "What  _were_  you doing before I came up here anyways?" she asked.

Corrin said nothing but slid a sheathed knife beneath some scrolls. "Oh, nothing. Just trying to find the map that Anthony told us about, you know, the one that had the bridge drawn upon it. You know what I'm talking about?"

Azura rolled her eyes as she grabbed Corrin by the hand and dragged him to the cot. "Come on, you," she said. "If it's so important to you, let me work on your problem while you sleep. We'll take turns, see?"

Corrin frowned and yawned. "Nah, nah. Trust me, I'm the one in charge of this army, so it's my responsibility to plan out the route for the next day," he said feebly.

Azura scoffed and pushed him down onto the bed. "Psh, nobody's going to notice if I'm the one to do it," she said.

Corrin chuckled but laid down on the cot. He raised a hand and waved it listlessly towards Azura. Azura smiled and wrapped her fingers around his. "Just wake me when you need me, alright? I don't want you to work on this all night. When you can't go any further, just wake me up, and then we'll switch, alright?"

Azura nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Azura smiled as she watched him sleep for a few minutes, his hand still wrapped around hers. She reached over him to shutter the lantern. Oftentimes, Corrin laid completely still when sleeping, even to the point where Jakob and Flora would sometimes panic and think that he was dead if they walked in on him sleeping. On the other hand, Azura herself was probably as close as any human could be to being called a "human tornado."

Back in Hoshido, Azura often spent her nights flailing about, trying to find a comfortable position as she thought back to everything she did that day. More often than not, Azura would find herself dwelling on what she said to that maid she accidently bumped into three months ago, wondering other words she could have said to alleviate the embarrassment.

It was only when she met Corrin that Azura was finally able to fall asleep slightly more easily. The downside was that every time she found herself passing into her waking dreams, there would always be faces. Her mother's face, gasping for breath, as she dissolved into water. Mikoto's face, serene and noble, even unto death. Sometimes, there would be some good faces among the dead, such as Sakura blushing when Ryoma complimented her kimono, or when Corrin smiled at her playfully, his ruffled white hair gently rustling in the wind.

As the war continued on, Azura found herself seeing less and less of faces, and more of their deaths. Garon kneeling on his knees, Arete is his arms as he pleaded for her to stay with him, even as she turned into water. Mikoto's anguished screams as those horrible spikes entered her body.

The more Azura dreamed of those moments, the more twisted they become. Sometimes, Arete turned into blood as maggots crawled out of Garon's eyes and mouth as he turned towards her. Other times, Mikoto's would turn her head completely around to look at Azura, her eyes black and dripping with blood as she cackled " _It's all your fault."_

But despite the twisted nightmares Azura found herself waking up from, she would always awaken to the sound of Anankos' roar, to the sight of him perching on the roof of Castle Gyges as he looked reproachfully at Azura and her mother as they fled towards the lake near the palace.

Azura shook her head, trying to rid herself of those memories. She gently climbed in next to Corrin. Despite still being asleep, Corrin automatically wrapped her arms around her waist, allowing her to rest her head over his heart. Normally, whenever she was with Corrin like this, cooped up next to him with his arms around her, listening to the reassuring beat of his heart, the only words Azura could use to describe herself was "safe" and "warm."

Tonight, however, was different. Azura spent the next half-hour turning about, trying not to wake Corrin with her flailing limbs and tried to force herself to fall asleep. Finally, fed up, Azura quietly rose from the bed and padded silently to the desk. As she tried to open the lantern again without making any actual noise, she turned to glance at Corrin.

Even in sleep, his face was scrunched in a way reminiscent of whenever he encounters a problem or puzzle that he was unable to solve at first, only to discover an obvious, if not easy, solution mere minutes after Leo solved it for him. Normally, Azura found that face endearing, even cute, but if he was making that face in his sleep, then that means there even more things going on in Corrin's mind that he wasn't telling her about.

Corrin was an easy-going person, sociable and charismatic, who rarely hid things from Azura, but even he had his limits. Corrin despised not being to help those in need, and despised having people getting hurt for him even more.

Azura looked around the room critically. She didn't pay much attention to the details of the room when she first entered the room, as she was more interested in the room's inhabitant. While the edges of the room were cluttered with bookshelves, weapon racks, and desks, the middle of the room was mostly barren, save for a desk on which it was covered with all sorts of maps and books. A few book shelves and weapon racks were stacked up against the walls, their shelves holding musty tomes and weapons.

Azura glanced bitterly at the silver banner hanging over the hearth as she made her way over to the desk. While Anankos apparently decided to leave Valla's national emblem unchanged, he also made his own addition to the insignia, namely that of a dragon's head, an orb covered with eyes in the place of its mouth place directly behind the emblem.

Azura averted her gaze from the banner as she finally managed to light the lantern. She quietly pulled out a map from underneath one of the tomes resting on the desk and spread it out across the table. The room was apparently the mage's private quarters, and judging from the notes stuck onto the tomes and desk, she had been expecting Corrin and his company for quite some time. As Azura looked over the map, she thought back to the mage

The mage had never taken off her hood, but something about her voice seemed…familiar to Azura. The way she pronounced her " _I"_ s, the formal and clipped tones, all of it reminded Azura of one of her oldest memories, though she wasn't sure which one it was.

Azura tried to put the thought of it out of mind as she looked down at the map. Anthony, the boy that Corrin had rescued from the Vallites the other day, had revealed that there was a hidden "backdoor entrance" into Castle Gyges, and in order to find this "entrance" they would need to cross a bridge connecting two floating islands together. Unfortunately, Anthony later sheepishly admitted that he had forgotten where the bridge was, which meant that Corrin, Leo, and Azura were responsible for finding a map of the area that included the bridge. At first, Azura had been somewhat amused to see Leo and Corrin, possibly two of the most educated people she knew, struggle to find a simple line, but now Azura knew the difficulty of their task.

Most of the maps were drawn  _before_  Anankos invaded and literally uprooted the land, which meant that they needed to guess which island fit with each other, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and determine whether or not said island had a bridge connecting it to another island.

The entire process was…tedious…to say the least.

A more apt word would've been "aggravating," since Anthony insisted on constantly apologizing to Corrin and Azura. At first, such behavior was amusing, if not annoying, but as Anthony continued to interrupt them in order to apologize, both Corrin and Azura found themselves growing irritated with his constant apologies.

Finally, it ended when Anthony burst into the privy while it was occupied by Corrin. Corrin  _literally_  snapped at him by transforming his right arm into a gaping dragon mouth and proceeded to literally kick Anthony out of the room. Azura chuckled at the memory before looking over another map.

Almost immediately, Azura could tell that this was going to be a sleepless night. Besides not showing any of the information Azura was trying to find, it appeared that majority of the writings on the maps were faded and made it incredibly hard to see. Azura sighed and pulled up a chair for her to sit in.

"This is going to be a long night…"


	8. Chapter 8

Corrin yawned and blearily sat up as he rubbed his eyes. He cracked them open to see sunlight streaming into the room through the cracks in the window. He blinked several times and swung his legs off the edge of the cot as he held his head in his hands, trying to remember what happened last night. It became clear to him almost immediately that the events of last night had not been some fevered dream or vision, as he might have assumed, when he heard a quiet snore emanating from his desk. He lifted his head to see Azura sprawled out in his desk, her hair in disarray as she snored softly, a small puddle of drool forming on the desk by her mouth.

Corrin watched her silently for a moment, taking in the sight of her closed, loose eyes and her back rise and fall ever so slightly as she breathed. He thought it a bit amusing, if not gratifying, to see her in such a state of relaxation

Normally, Azura was reserved, if not downright unsociable, was a result of silently bearing all of her own troubles and burdens on her own shoulders. Part of the reason why Corrin felt so  _attracted_  to her was because he appreciated her own determination and unwillingness to give up in the face of anxiety. That being said, sometimes, Corrin wished that he was able to help her with her demons. Even when they had an opportunity to talk privately, Azura would often veer away from talks about casual topics, such as her favorite food or season, and more towards topics such as Anankos and the destruction of Valla.

Corrin didn't mind talking to her about such subjects, but sometimes he wished that Azura was able to escape from her burdens, or at the very least, make sure that she could share the pain with someone besides her. Corrin wanted to be that person.

Corrin grunted as he stood up, trying to put such thoughts out of his head. He raised his arms above his head as he stretched, the cool breeze wafting in from outside cool against his bare chest. One of Corrin's hands unconsciously fell down towards his stomach to scratch the scar running across the length of it. He stopped, however, once he became aware of what he was doing. After he felt that he had stretched enough, he walked over to where Azura was dozing. He frowned as he noticed the massive pile of tomes and papers stacked up beside her.

Making as little noise as possible, Corrin slid one of the papers out from under Azura. It was a map, to be sure, but Corrin squinted his eyes as he noticed the miniscule characters written in the margins of the paper. The loops of the "l's, the way all the words flowed together like water to make a single, unbroken chain of sentences, all of the writings could only be Azura's. Corrin's frown deepened as he noticed the dark bags under her eyes. As he did so, one of Azura's eyes fluttered open. Corrin crossed his arms and looked down at Azura as she yawned and blearily sat up.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied. "How…did you sleep?" she said with a yawn.

Corrin set the map he was holding down in front of Azura. Azura jumped as his hand slammed into the table. "I thought I asked you to wake me up whenever you got tired?" he said.

Azura rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes as she looked up at Corrin sheepishly. "Well, I mean…I felt like I was really close to a breakthrough, and you know how hard it can be sometimes to wake you up," she said sleepily.

Corrin felt a wry smile form on his face as his displeasure faded. "Oh really?" he asked. "Is that the only reason?"

Azura blushed and fiddled with a strand of hair that fell across her face. "Well…no," she said. "I mean…I was sort of enjoying watching you sleep."

She looked up at Corrin, who was grinning. Azura could feel a smile of her own forming as she said, "Stop! Stop laughing!"

Corrin tried to hide the smile. "I'm not laughing!" he replied. "I was just asking if that was the only thing! Though honestly, doesn't that sound a bit…creepy to you?" he asked.

Azura blushed as she stood up and wrapped her hands around the back of Corrin's neck and pecked him on the nose. "Well, you don't know how…cute? Yeah, cute, that's the word. You don't know how cute you can look sometimes when you're sleeping," she said drolly.

Corrin laughed, a short bark. "Ha! And you think I don't think the same?" he asked.

Azura stared at him in confusion. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Corrin put his hands around her waist. "I mean, do you realize just how  _adorable_  you can be sometimes when you're sleeping? I mean, you got hair all over the place, you drool all over my desk, and your snores— _muah_!" He blew a kiss into the air. "Absolutely one of the cutest things I've set my eyes—er—heard upon in my life," he said affectionately.

Azura blushed and hid her face in the crook of Corrin's shoulder. "S-stop!" she complained.

Corrin laughed and planted a kiss in her hair. "Alright, I'll stop. It's too early for this kind of behavior in the morning anyways." He ran his hand up her back. "Anyways, since you decided to stay up all night, what did you manage to find?" he asked.

Azura excitedly pushed him away and bounded towards the table to snatch up a particular map. "Here! I found it last night and I was going to tell you, but…"

"But you fell asleep," Corrin finished, taking the map from Azura.

Azura sheepishly nodded. "Yeah. I decided to rest my eyes, so…"

Corrin's eyes squinted as he peered down at the parchment. Suddenly, he laughed and lifted Azura up by the waist and spun her around. Azura yelped but laughed as she held onto his arms. Corrin set her down on the floor and kissed her.

"Oh my gods! This is it! This is the one!" he exclaimed. "You did it!"

Azura smiled. "Wait, really? I thought—"

Corrin nodded excitedly. "Yes!" He pushed his hair back. "You don't understand, Leo and I have been looking for this one for  _so_  long, and yet you managed to find it!"

Corrin kissed her again, giddy with excitement. Azura giggled and took Corrin's head in her hands and deepened it. They both remained that way, intertwined in each other's arms, until somebody knocked on the door.

Azura hastily pushed Corrin away as she opened the door. On the other side, Leo blinked in surprise, taken aback by the fact that Corrin was not the one answering.

"Oh! Good morning, Leo," Azura greeted.

Leo blinked again. "…Azura. You sound awfully chipper this morning. Might I endeavor to ask what you have been doing with Corrin last night?" he said formally.

Corrin peeked out from behind Azura's hair and held out the map. "Leo, you would  _not_  believe this! Azura found it!"

"Found what?" Leo asked.

"The map! You know, the map that you needed to find the bridge?"

Leo's eyes widened as he glanced at Azura. He gingerly took the map and cleared his throat. "Ah, I see. Well done, Azura."

He took the map and looked it over. Satisfied, Leo nodded and bid them farewell. "Oh, and another thing," he said over his shoulder.

Corrin and Azura both raised their eyebrows. "Hm?"

"Try being a little bit quieter in the mornings, please? Also, I know you two…are, you know, but do keep in mind that we're still in the middle of a war, please? It wouldn't do if people found out that the two of you spent all night cavorting and whatnot."

Azura blushed. "We were  _not_  cavorting!" she protested.

Corrin nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Hell, she didn't even sleep with me! She slept on the desk!"

"Corrin!"

"Ow!"

Leo smiled a little bit and blushed. "Yes, well, just letting you two know," he stammered before turning around and leaving.

Corrin pouted as he rubbed his arm where Azura had slapped him. "Wow, never knew your hands could be so…"

"Destructive?"

"Well, I was going to say 'strong,' but 'destructive' works too."

Azura smirked. "Well, you're asking for another one."

Corrin laughed and pecked her on the cheek before turning towards the cot. He looked over his shoulder and called out, "Hey, um, Azura?"

"Hm?"

"I think now would be a good time for you to…you know…get ready?"

Azura looked down at her nightgown before looking at the door. It wasn't too revealing, but the edge of the dress was a little bit short for descending a set of stairs. Anyone beneath her when she descended would get a very full view. She turned towards Corrin, who was pulling a shirt over himself and strapping on his armor.

"Oh, erm, Corrin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I borrowed your cloak?"

Corrin turned to look at her in confusion. "My cloak? Why?"

Azura gestured down to herself. "Well, I mean, I  _am_  wearing a pretty short night dress, and pretty much nothing else…"

Corrin's eyebrows lifted in realization as he blushed. "Oh! Uh, yeah, you can take it. Just make sure you hand it back to me after you're done with it."

Azura thanked him and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders before leaving the room. Before leaving, Corrin called her name. She turned to see Corrin strapping his signature blue cape to the front of his armor. He looked at her in mirror.

"Don't forget, we have a meeting immediately after breakfast," he reminded her.

Azura paused, before nodding and running down the stairwell. Along the way, she bumped into a couple of patrolling soldiers, who all whistled and gave each other knowing elbow digs in each other's ribs as she ran past.

It was only until Azura ran into the room she shared with Hinoka, Camilla, Sakura, and Elise that she stopped to take a breath. Almost immediately, she felt Elise wrap her arms around her waist as the Nohrian princess looked at her with her purple eyes.

"Ohmygods! Azura! Howwasit? Wasitnice? Didyouguyssleeptogether? Whatdidyouguysdo? WasCorrinbeingawkward, orwashesupercharming?"

"Uh…"

"Now, now, Elise," said Camilla, who was busy brushing her lavender hair out of her eyes. "What goes on in the bedroom stays in the bedroom." She winked at Azura in the mirror.

Azura blushed as she pried Elise off of her. "Well, I mean…we didn't really  _do_  anything. I mean, we talked. A lot. And there was hugging. And I guess there was a couple of times where we kissed?"

"And?" Hinoka pressed. "Is that all?"

Azura felt herself blush. "Well, we didn't actually  _sleep_  together. I just…sort of dozed off on his desk."

" _WHAT?!"_  Elise blurted. "But…but…you two are  _so_  perfect together! How come—"

Sakura peeked out from behind Hinoka. "W-well, Elise, I-I don't think that's appropriate, r-right now," she said shyly.

Azura could feel the heat rising to her face as she brushed past Hinoka and Sakura. She sighed as she picked up her brush and began the long process of fixing her hair. Despite herself, Azura could feel a smile rising on her face.

True, Elise and Hinoka were a bit too  _extravagant_  for her taste, but they were her sister nonetheless. Sakura was the incarnate of a flower that no one could bear stepping on, and Camilla…well Camilla was Camilla.

She groaned as she picked up her dress, which was wrinkled from sitting on the floor all day. Camilla tugged at her lip as she saw Azura's plight.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear," she said. "We were simply…too excited and didn't notice your dress sitting on the floor before we trampled all over it trying to get to you."

Azura sighed. "No…it's all right. I never did care much about my appearance anyways."

* * *

Leo cleared his throat as he spread the map across the table. "We," he pointed to a square on the map with a baton he had procured from under his armor, "are here. This—" he moved the pointer next to a thin rectangle a couple of inches away. "—is the bridge that our informant said that he used to escape from Anankos." Everybody, including Corrin, nodded, and some murmured their agreement.

"However!" Leo said sharply. "We have several problems"

Everybody looked at one another uncertainly. "W-what's…the issue?" Sakura asked before clamping a hand over her mouth, as if she was afraid that she had said the wrong thing.

"S-sorry! I-I didn't m-mean to interrupt you like—"

"It's fine," Leo said, his ears turning a faint shade of red. "Anyways, the problems are that this 'escape route' our informant used is less of an escape route and more of a secret tunnel."

Takumi raised a hand. "And the other problem?"

Here, Corrin stood up and cleared his throat. "The other problem is that, according to Anthony, the main entrance is heavily guarded, which means that it will be damn near impossible to barge in through the front gate."

Everybody groaned in despair. "But!" Corrin interjected, lifting up a single finger for emphasis. "But, Leo, Laslow's, Selena's and Odin's 'acquaintance,'" he gestured towards a hooded figure standing in the shadows, who nodded when Corrin gestured toward him, "and I have devised a plan to get around this obstacle."

Everyone sat up, interested. Even Keaton and Kaden stopped grooming themselves and looked towards Corrin.

"My plan is that we launch a diversionary assault on the main entrance, thus allowing a small strike force consisting of me, Azura, Ryoma, Xander, and everyone else in my personal guard to slip in using the escape route and infiltrate the castle. Once we've managed to slip into the castle, they'll open the gates so that the rest of our army can enter. Once that's done, we'll engage Anankos and kill him!" Corrin said optimistically.

Camilla raised a manicured finger. "Question, dear."

Corrin pointed towards her. "Yes?"

Camilla brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Well, so far, I'm approving of your plan, but who is going to be leading this 'strike force' of yours? Who's going to be responsible for leading the army."

Here, Corrin faltered. "Oh, well, um,  _I_  was planning on leading the strike team."

Corrin grimaced as the hall erupted into a cacophony of noise.

"You can't go! It's too dangerous!"

"I shall go in your place!"

"Ha, good luck with that!"

Corrin kneaded his eyes. "Alright! Enough!" he shouted.

Silence slowly fell back into place as everyone looked at Corrin. He looked around at each person, making sure to hold eye contact with them before moving onto the next person. "I know that most of you would argue that'll be too dangerous for me, but you forget, that's what most of you said when I rejected both Hoshido and Nohr. That's what all of you said when I volunteered to jump down into the Bottomless Canyon. And well—" Corrin gestured to himself. "Here I am!"

Everybody nodded and looked at each other uncertainly. "Well, he  _certainly_  does have a knack for pulling through, no matter how hard the situation might be," Niles admitted.

Corrin sat back in his chair. "And besides, I  _did_  say that I was planning on bringing everyone from my personal elite guard with me." His eyes twinkled. "I've heard that they could be…quite off-putting to anyone on the wrong side of their blades."

Xander cleared his throat. "Well, yes, but your flattery of us won't get you anywhere. We still need a figurehead to lead the army. It can't be me or Ryoma, since the other side would most likely riot against us. The only person both Hoshido and Nohr trusts is  _you,_  Corrin."

Corrin opened his mouth to reply before a cough interrupted him. The hooded figure cleared his throat as he stepped out of the shadows, pulling his hood down to reveal a head of white hair, similar to that of Corrin's.

"I believe I can help with that," the man said.

Laslow and Odin looked at one another uneasily while Selena stood up. "A-are you sure?" the red-headed retainer asked, her voice unusually fraught with worry.

The white-haired man rolled his eyes. "When have I ever been wrong about something related to strategy?" he asked.

Selena pursed her lips and sat back down. Saizo stood up and pointed a finger towards the man, who calmly turned to look at him.

"Who the hell are you?" the Hoshidan ninja asked

The man stared at Saizo for a moment, before replying, "You'd better drop that dagger. Let me just say that it would be a  _really_  bad idea to rush me down like that."

Everyone blinked in confusion and looked at Saizo, who took a step backwards in surprise. "How? How did—"

"How did I know?" The man chuckled. "Please, I haven't seen a single fighter here who hasn't shown me a dozen different ways to defeat you. Half of them don't even involve me using a weapon or tome."

Ryoma rose and glowered threateningly towards the prince. "Careful of your tone. You may have been singlehandedly responsible for saving the majority of our armies, but that does not mean you can talk to our retainers in such a way."

The man chuckled again and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, fine, let me explain how I knew. I knew you were planning to attack me because I noticed how you were leaning mostly forward, and how your shoulders were tensed up, most likely because your legs were tensed up in preparation to jump onto the table in an attempt to rush me down. Since you only used one hand to point at me, it was safe to assume that you were using a one handed weapon. Since I could not see the weapon, nor was I able to see you rearing your other hand back in preparation to throw one of your 'shruikens,' the most optimal weapon for you to use against me would be a dagger. That, and adding to what knowledge I was able to glean from observing your behaviors, led me to believe that you, as a ninja, are not familiar with swords and would much rather use a shruiken or a dagger. Again, since I didn't see you rear your arm back, the only possible one-handed weapon that was small enough to hide in your hand would be a dagger."

Saizo glared at the man as he set the dagger down on the table. The man sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"Alright, admittedly, I may have gone off on a bad start." He placed a hand on his chest. "My name is Robin, and I am a famous strategist from Yli—er— Laslow's, Selena's and Odin's homeland."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "If you were so famous, how come we have never heard of you, Sir Robin?"

Robin shrugged. "Guess I just have a knack for thoroughly beating my opponents. Just ask anybody you meet if they've ever heard of 'The Tactician Magician,' but please, just call me Robin." He turned back towards Xander.

"To answer your question on who should lead the army while the rest of you infiltrate Castle Gyges, I volunteer for the position. I believe I'm qualified here due to my… _numerous_  years studying the art of war, and I believe I am the one here who has had any experience with sieges."

Silas rubbed his chin. "Admittedly, everything he's said is true. None of us here has had any experience with leading a siege, and in all honestly," he looked at Robin with something approaching respect. "In all honesty, the men like you."

Hinoka nodded. "Yeah. Most of men I've been talking to said that, besides me, you were one of the most caring people they have ever met."

Robin gave her a wry grin. "Yes, well, such bonds are the true strengths of this army," he replied.

"Alright then!" Corrin stood up again. "If we are all agreed, the person who will be leading the army in my absence would be…er, what was your name again?"

"Robin."

"Robin! All agreed?"

Everybody gave their own murmur of assent. "And everyone in here will be part is happy with the fact that they're in the strike force, right?"

Benny stood up and pushed his chair in. "Yes. Me and my pals never had a taste for serving in an army—until we heard about you. I reckon that I'm in."

Ryoma and Xander both stood up and awkwardly glanced at each other. "Er, the same applies for us," Ryoma said. "You've led us well over this past year. I would be honored to serve by you." Xander nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Leo said, retracting his baton and sliding it back under his armor. "Is there anything else someone would like to say or point out?"

Azura coughed meekly into her hand and stood up. Everyone turned their heads to look at the songstress. For a split second, Azura felt the ridiculous urge to excuse herself and run out of the room, but Corrin smiled gently at her, his red eyes full of understanding. He made a slight motion with his head, urging her to continue. She took a breath to compose herself before saying, "There's one last thing."

Leo rolled his eyes at her. "Well, yes, that's pretty obvious." Despite his sarcastic remark, there was no bite in that bark.

Azura shot a glare at Leo before continuing. "Anankos," she started, "has the unique ability to 'corrupt' those around him. His roar is a death knell for man, a scream that silences all hope…"

"This sounds familiar…" Robin said quietly, almost to himself.

"Even being near him is enough to bring out thoughts about your worst fears and nightmares."

Elise pouted and crossed her arms. "Sure sounds depressing…"

"Those who are of weak-hearts or weak-minds will find themselves losing their sanity. Everything you think is right will feel wrong, and everything you know is wrong will feel right. We have to be careful about what happens out there. We need to be careful on who our true enemy really is. Our true enemy is Anankos, not each other. Make sure you know who is friend, and who is foe when we're marching out to fight him," she said.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement and slowly filed out of the hall, one-by-one. Azura breezed past silently by Corrin, only giving him a light touch on his arm before disappearing. As Corrin looked up to watch her leave, he noticed that Robin was still inside, scribbling something down in a tome.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Robin looked at him and smirked. "Oh, nothing much. A good tactician must be good at taking notes as he is at war tactics."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "What are you taking notes for?"

Robin shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Land. Anankos. Your sword." He snapped the tome shut. "It's just a hobby of mine: taking notes on things I notice whenever I travel to a new world."

"World?"

"Er—I meant land. Yeah. It's common knowledge between Laslow, Selena, and Owa—Odin and I, that I travel a lot."

Corrin crossed his arms. "So you must be pretty good friends with them in order to travel all the way down here to Valla in order to participate in a suicide mission, right?"

Robin looked around. "Alright, first off, don't say this is a suicide mission," he said in a hushed tone. "You're the leader of this army! If you use such a negative word to describe an already hard battle, how do you think people are going to feel? Secondly—" Robin winked. "This isn't my first time leading friends against insurmountable odds."

"Don't wink at me."

"If you say so. Anyways, one last bit of advice before I leave, make sure you know which retainers are yours. Anankos has placed servants all over the world, and the more cunning ones may not be so obvious."

On that departing note, Robin pulled his hood over his head, obscuring all of his face save his mouth, which grinned. He nodded once, towards Corrin before turning and leaving the hall, his purple coat billowing in the wind as he stepped outside.

"What an interesting man."

Corrin jumped to see Gunter walk up behind him.

"Gah! Gunter! Don't scare me like that!" Corrin yelped.

Gunter looked down at him. "My apologies, milord, but these are trying times, and trust can be scarce. I do not trust that man, and you need to make sure that you don't either." Gunter sniffed in disdain. "He's…not of this world. Like Laslow. Like Odin. Like Selena."

Corrin looked at him in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?" he said.

Gunter crossed his arms. "Just remember that not everyone you meet and know can be so kind," he said gravely before walking away.

Corrin watched Gunter walk away as he shook his head in disbelief. "'Trust me, don't trust people.' 'Trust people, but make sure you don't trust them too much.' People…"

* * *

"Corrin?"

Azura peeked in through the doorway to see Corrin sitting bare-chested on his cot, his head in his hands.

"Corrin, are you alright?" she asked.

Corrin looked up her and nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

Azura entered the room and sat down next to him. Corrin's eyes flicked upward to look at Azura in her simple white nightgown before scooting over to make for her as she rested her head on his shoulder. For a moment, the two of them were silent. Finally, Corrin spoke.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Azura shrugged. "Sort of. On one hand, I'm ready to finish this. On the other hand," she looked at Corrin and blushed. "On the other hand, I wish we could spend more time together like this."

Corrin looked down at her. "What makes you think that we won't succeed tomorrow?" he asked.

Azura frowned. "Well, I mean—" she sighed.

Corrin gave her a rueful grin and wrapped his arms around her midriff as he leaned back against the wall. Azura leaned into him and she tucked her feet under her as she rested against Corrin's chest.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, I want you to believe that we will win," Corrin whispered.

"And what if we can't?" she whispered back.

"Then we will all be together, and all of your pains will be over," he said. "Just promise me this, alright?"

"What?" she asked.

Corrin touched Azura's face as she turned her head to look at him. "I want you to promise me that should things go awry…promise me that you'll run, that you'll make it out of here alive."

With a shocked expression, Azura pulled herself free from Corrin's arm as she paced back and forth besides the cot. Corrin stared at her helplessly. Finally, she spoke.

"What?" she whispered, partially to herself. "What sort of nightmare is this?"The man who I love no longer wants me by his side! Why?"

Corrin shook his head and placed a hand on Azura's shoulder. She shook it off furiously as she glared him, her eyes shining and her mouth set firmly.

"Azura! That's not true! I—"

Azura spun on her heels to stare at the wall. "It  _is_  true! What do you think I'll feel if I was forced to flee while you lay dying? How do you think I would be able to live with myself?"

Corrin fell silent and stared down at his feet. "I…I don't know…" he admitted. "I thought…I thought that…" He shook his head, too choked up to say the words.

Azura shuddered, her knuckles turning white as she clench her fists. "You thought what? That I would accept just  _leaving_  you to face a dragon by  _yourself_? What sort of madman would I have to be before I let that happen? I would much rather die with you by my side than to continue living on without you!"

Corrin shook his head. "No…" he muttered. "I just thought that…no, I'm  _grateful_."

"Grateful for what?"

Corrin looked up at her. "I'm grateful for having…for being able to know you. Not just as a friend and companion, but also as a lover. And it is that love that I would have you go. I know how you feel, and that this is the most I've ever asked of you, but please. For my sake, I would rather die knowing that you were safe and sound, than to die looking at your body."

Azura's breath hitched as she stared at Corrin. "And what if I refuse?" she said with a shaking voice.

Corrin shook his head. "If you choose to fight by me until the end…then…I shall honor your choice. All I want for you is to live on, and I would gladly give set my life down if it meant you being able to see another day." In an even quieter voice, he added, "But I understand if you wish to stay by me. And I understand why you feel the way you do."

Azura sobbed and rushed towards Corrin. Corrin gave a slight grunt as Azura's hands flew around his neck. "I will never abandon you," she tearfully. "All throughout my life, I was forced to watch as people I cared about and loved set their lives down in order for me to escape. I don't want that to happen again. Please, don't let that happen again, Corrin."

Though it pained him greatly, Corrin bowed his head and said, "I promise. As long as we're together, you have my word that I will never abandon you, or let you suffer by watching me being abandoned by you as you flee. If we're going to do this tomorrow, we'll do it together."

Azura gave another sob and sank onto the cot—her back stiff and upright—as she dabbed at her tears on the cuff of her sleeve. In a quiet voice, she said, "Promise me that you'll never ask for such a request ever again?"

Corrin nodded silently.

Azura's sobs slowly fell silent and reached out with her hands for Corrin. Without hesitation, Corrin rushed forward and threw his arms around her. As Corrin buried his face in her hair, Azura whispered into Corrin's ear, "I love you…so…so much."

Corrin tightened his embrace as he replied, "I love you too…Azura"


	9. Chapter 9

"So, Anthony…" Corrin said as he walked up behind Anthony. Anthony flinched and jumped as he turned his head to face him.

"Y-yeah?"

"What…do you remember about serving Anankos?" Corrin said casually.

Anthony shuddered and put his hands in his coat pocket. "I-I…don't really like to talk about that," he said after a long pause. "I-I mean, if you really want to know, I guess I could tell you, but I-I really don't want to talk about that. Especially now."

Corrin cringed. "Oh yeah, I guess serving a mad dragon must've been pretty rough on you. How long have you been serving him again?"

Anthony shrugged as he continued to walk forward. "I-I don't remember. Probably as long as I've been alive, I guess. Lor—er—Anankos doesn't really give her servants any sort of break, if you know what I mean. Hehe." There was no mirth in that chuckle.

Corrin grimaced again. "Ooh, I guess that was a pretty bad way to start off a conversation, huh?" he said.

Anthony shrugged but said nothing. Corrin gazed down at the ground as he walked. He looked up and allowed his gaze to wander over the heads of the people he included in his elite strike force. Besides himself and Azura, the group was nearly forty strong. All were part of his elite guard.

Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and Laslow's, Selena's, and Owain's "acquaintance," a man who calls himself "Robin," agreed upon carrying out a very specific attack on Castle Gyges and Anankos. While Robin led the majority of the army, a force numbering in the thousands and consisted of soldiers from both Hoshido and Nohr, as well as a few mercenaries and rogues from other countries, Corrin would lead his elite guard into a back entrance used by Anthony to escape. However, the only caveat was that the plan required Corrin's elite guard to get up at the crack of dawn, something nobody, not even Gunter, was happy doing. Nonetheless, they needed to depart early in order for them to arrive and open the main gates to the main entrance before the rest of the main army arrived at Castle Gyges. Now, the group was navigating their way across a series of floating isles to search for a "bridge" that Anthony crossed in order to escape.

Corrin yawned and looked up at the sky, hoping to figure out an approximation of the time by using the sun's position in the sky, only for him to remember that there was no "sun" in Valla.

"Oh!" Corrin suddenly snapped his fingers as he thought of a way to continue his conversation with Anthony. Anthony flinched at the sudden sound.

"W-what?" Anthony asked, looking up at him.

"Instead of constantly talking to you about your time serving under Anankos, how about you tell me somethings about yourself?" Corrin suggested brightly.

Anthony grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, alright, I guess. Anything to distract me from the fact that I'm leading you guys back to the same place I tried so hard to escape from. What would you like to know?"

Corrin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I've never figured out how old you actually were. I mean, no offense, but you looked like you're probably eight or nine. Yet your…vocabulary is remarkably advanced for your age. Do you read a lot?"

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. Anankos didn't give me a lot of time to rest, but what few moments of time I had to myself, I would be in the royal library, reading over books and whatnot."

At the mention of Gyges' royal library, Azura gasped and cast an interested glance towards Anthony. "You…say you spent a lot of time in Castle Gyges' royal library?" Azura asked quietly.

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Azura looked away. "Oh, nothing. It's just that I never realized Anankos would keep something so…I don't know…useless to him."

Corrin adjusted his cape. "Maybe it has something…no, never mind."

Azura looked at him. "What? What does it have to with what?"

Corrin shook his head. "Nothing. Forget I ever said anything." He turned back towards Anthony. "You never really answered my question though: how old are you?"

Anthony gave a noncommittal shrug. "I mean, we don't really celebrate anything. I think I'm like eight? Maybe nine? I don't know. All I can tell you is that I always eat the same dish as celebration on my 'birthday.'"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he said, interested. "What dish?"

Anthony rubbed his stomach. "Oh, uh, I don't really know how to describe it. It was sort of a bunch of meat cut up and put into like this brown soup thing—"

"You mean stewed beef?" Corrin asked.

Anthony nodded. "Yeah! That's what its called. Anyways, my friend, Ven, would always make it and give it to me whenever it was my birthday. I mean, it wasn't much, barely half a cup's worth, but it was still nice."

"Sounds like a nice friend," Corrin said softly.

Anthony nodded silently. "She was."

Corrin frowned. "Wait, 'she was?' What happened?" he said.

Anthony hunched his shoulders. Corrin grimaced and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," Anthony said. "I- It's just that when I tried to escape, I wanted her to come with me…"

"And?" Corrin asked gently.

"She didn't want to," Anthony said flatly. "No matter what I tried to do or say, she just wouldn't…leave Anankos' service."

Corrin grimaced again. No matter what he seemed to talk about, Anankos always came up, didn't it? Corrin squeezed Anthony's shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry," he said. "Once this is all over, I promise you won't have to live under Anankos' shadow ever again."

Anthony nodded his head, but did not respond. Corrin's ears twitched as he heard someone call his name. He turned his head to see Ryoma discreetly beckoning over.

Corrin glanced at Anthony before walking away and falling into his older brother's strides. "Yes?" Corrin asked.

Ryoma glanced around them before leaning in and whispering, "Do you remember what I said to you? After Scarlet's funeral?"

Corrin frowned. "Yes. Why?" he said in an equally low whisper.

Ryoma gave a suspicious glance towards Anthony. "Because I still think there's a spy among us, and I think Anthony might be one of them."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Ryoma shook his head. "I don't know. It's just…something about him. The way he's acting so calmly about marching back to a prison he just escape from. It doesn't feel right following him."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "I mean, I guess it makes sense. But everything he's told me about his past life makes it clear that he's not really doing this for himself. He  _doesn't_  want to go back, but there's someone he left behind."

Ryoma opened his mouth to reply, but Corrin cut him off by hastily adding, "I'll keep my eyes peeled on him though, don't worry."

Ryoma nodded and straightened back up to his full height. For a split second, Corrin felt irritated that despite him keeping his back as straight as he could, he could barely manage to top Ryoma's shoulders.

In front of them, Takumi suddenly cursed and flailed his arms. "W-whoa there! What the fu—?"

"Takumi!" Sakura cried.

Leo reached out and managed to grab the back of Takumi's armor before its wearer managed to plunge off the cliff. With a mighty groan, Leo managed to pull Takumi back from the edge of the precipice.

Takumi collapsed onto his arms and knees and stared unseeingly at the ground beneath him as Hinoka dismounted her pegasus and ran over to him, asking him if he was alright.

Corrin turned towards Anthony. "What in the actual hell was that?" he asked.

Anthony shrugged his shoulders, his eyes wide. "I-I d-don't know! T-this was the place I went through when I tried to escape! This is all new to me!"

Anthony wrapped his hands around his head as he suddenly doubled over, hyperventilating. Corrin dropped to one knee.

"Hey," he said soothingly, clasping a hand on Anthony's shoulder. "This isn't your fault, alright? We just want to know…is there anything different that you can see when you escaped?"

Anthony reluctantly met his eyes. "I-I don't know. All I remember about running away from milor—er—Anankos was that I had to pass through an area with a lot of floating islands."

Corrin glanced up around him. There were floating islands everywhere. Elise trotted over and looked down at Anthony.

"Now listen here, son!" she started. "We both know that that sort of answer won't cut it, so—"

Corrin hissed at her and waved a hand frantically towards her. " _What are you doing?_ " he asked discreetly. " _We're trying to get him to calm down, not give him an anxiety attack!"_

Elise frowned and crossed her arms as her pony dutifully trotted away towards Camilla and Xander. Corrin looked back at Anthony, whose breathing was starting slow down.

"Alright Anthony,  _calm down_ , alright? We're all friends here. We won't hurt you," he said reassuringly.

Anthony looked up at him with large brown eyes. "Really?" he asked softly.

Corrin nodded. "Yeah!" he said. "All we're asking of you right now is 'what do you remember about this place when you passed through it besides floating islands?'"

Anthony stared intensely at the ground in concentration. "Well, uh…" he stammered. "I remember there being a really long, really old wooden bridge," he said. "But you probably already knew that."

"What type of bridge?" Corrin asked, resisting the urge to shake his shoulders.

The words had barely left his mouth before Odin shouted frantically. "Hark! Over here! Here, hidden within the mists of the lost, within the fog of the dead, the—"

Corrin stood up and walked over to where Odin was pointing, his eyes wide in incredulously. There, partially hidden by the gray fog rising up from underneath the cliff, was a wooden rope bridge.

Azura quietly walked up besides Corrin. "It…just appeared out of nowhere…" she murmured. "It's like…the fog…created it."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah…there's something about this fog. It's…too different. It's like its creating a wall, see?" Corrin pointed at the fog, which, sure enough, had gathered up so that it was thickest at the middle of the rope bridge and extended out in both directions.

Azura nodded his head her agreement. Meanwhile, Anthony jumped and pointed excitedly towards the bridge. "There! There! That's the bridge I used to cross over to escape Anankos!"

Camilla dismounted her wyvern and gingerly placed a foot on the first step, withdrawing it once she felt the wood creak underneath her weight. She looked back at Corrin uncertainly. "I don't know, my dear. This bridge looks awfully old."

Sakura peeked out from behind one of Hinoka's pegasus' wings. "This bridge does look pretty old…You don't think that it'll…"

Anthony shook his head. "No, this is the bridge I used, I'm sure of it! We'll be alright, I promise!"

Leo shook his head. "No…we can't risk it. Better use the pegasi and wyverns to ferry everyone over, one at a time."

"But that'll take too long," Hinoka said. "Just put all the healers and heavier people on the fliers, and the rest of you guys cross over using this bridge!"

Leo opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Corrin's ears twitched. Without hesitation, he tore Yato from its sheath and swung it in a wide arc in front of Leo. Leo barely had time to yelp and back up before he felt the splintered shaft of an arrow bounce off his armor.

"Wow…"he finally said. "That was…impressive. Well done, Corrin."

Corrin did not respond but instead leveled Yato towards the forest behind them as a group of shadows shambled out from behind the trees and solidified into Vallites and a group of Faceless. Anthony yelped and sprinted onto the bridge, his arms outstretched to keep balance as he ran across.

"Hey! What? Get back here!" Takumi called. "You don't know if it's safe on the other side or not!"

"It's no use," Xander growled as he batted at an approaching Vallite, who jumped back and shook its lance threateningly towards the Nohrian prince. "A coward only shows spine whenever they're in danger."

Corrin waved his hands in the air to get everybody's attention. "Everyone! Cross the bridge! Now!"

Ryoma turned to look at Corrin in confusion. "What? But how will—"

Corrin jumped back and parried a blade as he swung his sword in a wide arc in front of him. "Don't worry about it! Just do it!"

Without question, everyone sprinted onto and across the bridge in a mad dash. Corrin hesitated for a moment, as he watched the wood bend and creak under their feet. Camilla and Beruka both had their wyverns wrap their talons around the bellies of Elise's, Silas', Xander's horses, who tossed their head and screamed, a terrible sound, that reminded Corrin of metal ripping in half.

An arrow streaked past his face, bringing his attention back to the fight.

"Corrin!" Leo yelled. "We can't cross the bridge without them overtaking us. What do we do?"

Corrin glanced at him briefly. "We stay and fight. We need to buy enough time for everyone to get across," he said.

Ryoma yelled as he brought Rajinto down in a might blow that cleaved a Faceless' mask and hands cleanly in half. The beast roared and stumbled backwards into more of its brethren, creating a cacophony of screeches and roars as the beats fought among themselves for a few minutes. Any Vallites near them quickly withdrew or got crushed.

Ryoma wiped sweat off his brow as he turned towards Corrin. "What about us? If we cross one-by-one, whoever is left behind will surely be overwhelmed."

"Not if they can turn into a dragon," Corrin replied. "Trust me. So long as I have someone covering my back, I can hold this side of the bridge down."

Ryoma paused for a second before nodding. "Then we'll buy you all the time you need," Takumi said.

Corrin nodded in appreciation, grateful for his siblings, and rushed forward, Yato raised.

Everybody gave a warcry and rushed forward behind Corrin. The enemy hesitated for a second, flummoxed that such a small number of opponents would dare rush an enemy who outnumbered them twelve-to-one. What they didn't expect was an eerie, female voice drifting high above the sounds of the fighting. Corrin wrenched Yato out of a Vallite berserker's chest and looked around in confusion for the source of the singing. There, surrounded in the middle of Vallites and Faceless alike, Azura sang as she slowly but purposely shuffled forward. The enemies surrounding her pulsed and shuddered, as if overcome with some sort of spell, before rushing towards her.

Corrin raised his hand and reached out to her. "Azur—!"

Before he could finish calling her name or run towards her, all of the Vallites charging her stiffened and collapsed face-first, their bodies dissipating into water droplets and smoke as their weapons clattered to the ground. Corrin looked at her awe, noticing only later that any enemies that did not collapse and dissipate into smoke stood as still as a statue, as if transfixed by some sort of spell.

"Azura? How did—?" Corrin asked before she suddenly swayed and collapsed.

He reached towards her. _"Leo!_ " he screamed.

Leo glanced towards him, followed his gaze to the downed songstress, and immediately understood. He opened Brynhildr and cast a spell, his voice impossibly low as he uttered words too deep and complex for Corrin to understand.

Without warning, a thick wall of green tree roots burst out of the ground, creating a temporary wall surrounding their end of the bridge, creating a temporary safe haven. Corrin ran over to her and cradled her in his arms.

To his everlasting relief, Azura's eyes weakly fluttered open and she raised her hand weakly to stroke Corrin's face.

"C-Corrin? What happe—"

Corrin gently placed a finger over her lips. "Sh…" he said. "Don't worry about it right now. Just…don't fight against this, alright?"

Corrin looked over his shoulder and called Xander. The Nohrian prince expertly dispatched the myrmidon he was fighting and knelt down besides the half-dragon.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

In curt, short words, Corrin explained what happened. "I want you to carry Azura on your shoulders and run over to the other side," he ordered.

"But—"

"Just do it! Ryoma! Leo! Go with him! Keep them safe!"

Ryoma and Leo both nodded as Xander shook his head. "But what about you? I won't leave you to die here alone!" Xander said.

"That's because he's  _not_  alone," Takumi said. "Go. Get her across. Corrin, I'll hang back and provide you with long range support from here."

Corrin nodded. "Alright, everybody! You know what you have to do! Go!"

Leo nodded and gingerly placed a hand on Ryoma's forearm as he closed his eyes in concentration. His lips moved to cast some spell and a green rune appeared below Leo's, and Ryoma's feet as they suddenly shot upward, a green smoke trailing behind them as they floated across to the other side. Corrin was able to barely make out the figures of Hinoka and Camilla with their arms outstretched as they caught the two men.

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched and looked back at Xander, who was looking down at the bridge between his feet with concern. "Are you sure about this? I'm not exactly confident about—"

Corrin shrugged. "No, I'm not sure, but look at the rest of us! They managed to get across. I'm sure one man carrying a woman will manage!"

Xander nodded once and turned and ran across the bridge. Takumi drew Fujin Yumi and aimed it towards the tree-root-wall as he slowly inched backwards.

"As soon as I give the signal, and as soon as Xander's on the other side, retreat over the bridge and run as fast as you can to the other side."

"What about you?"

Corrin flashed Takumi a snarky grin. "Well, I  _am_  half-dragon, after all. Just make sure that as you run, you keep shooting arrows back, to prevent them fr—"

"I know why you want me to shoot arrows back, alright? Just make sure you give that signal quickly. We won't last long against a force of that size," he said as he looked with concern at the root wall in front of them, which was starting to crack and splinter in several places.

Corrin nodded and shifted his gaze back on the root wall as it split in half. He sidestepped to the right to dodge an incoming arrow and brought down in a strong overarching swing with Yato from his head to the ground.

" _Now!_ " he shouted, looking back at Takumi.

Without hesitation, Takumi released a single arrow before turning around and sprinting as fast as he could across the bridge, shooting arrows over his shoulder as he ran. Corrin parried and backflipped, willing his body to transform partially.

Corrin felt his head grow heavy as his head was replaced by its draconic part, and a set of antler-like horns entered the top of his vision. Corrin landed on his feet and stumbled backwards as he tried to keep his balance as a pair of silver wings sprouted from his back as he sheathed Yato. Grunting with effort, Corrin unfurled his wings and mightily beat it in the direction of the enemy. The Faceless continued on unfazed, but were slowed down by the Vallites in front of them, who raised their shields and weapons as if attempting to block the wind. Corrin drew his wings back and flapped them forward again. On the fourth beat of his wings, the Vallites closest to Corrin stabbed their weapons into the ground in an attempt to prevent themselves from being flung away.

After a few more flaps, Corrin angled his wings downward and allowed himself to be carried away. The Faceless roared and shook their fists at him as some tried to pick up and hurl boulders at him through the sky. Some of the Faceless even picked up a nearby Vallite and hurled them into the air. Corrin spun and twirled in the air as a line of archers released a volley of arrows towards him. Corrin curled into a ball and allowed his wings to close around him as he felt the  _pings_  of the arrowheads bouncing off his wings.

Opening back up again, he managed to spread his wings just in time to slow himself before crashing on the other side. He broke his fall into a roll and landed on his feet. Almost immediately, Corrin retracted his wings and tail as he ran over to where Xander was gently setting Azura down against the remnants of a destroyed wall.

"Are you alright?" Corrin asked.

Azura nodded. "Yeah," she said weakly as she allowed Corrin to wrap his hand around hers and pull her to her feet. She leaned on him for a few moments while she tried to regain her balance.

"What you did back there? That was just about one of the most amazing things I've seen before in my life," Corrin said. "Though I would prefer you didn't do that again. Please?"

Azura gave a small giggle. "Yes well, I wasn't planning on fainting again during the middle of a fight," she said.

Anthony suddenly jumped up and down and pointed excitedly towards the bridge. "I see him! He's coming!" he shouted, waving Corrin and Azura over.

They glanced at each other before they stumbled together to the bridge. Sure enough, Takumi was running towards them, Fujin Yumi shouldered as he waved his arms in the air.

"Hey! Everybody! I'm still alive!" he called. "Wait for me! I'm stil—"

Takumi's voice died as the wooden plank he stepped on suddenly crumbled and shattered beneath his foot. Takumi stumbled and dropped to his knees, grabbing the rope handrail to steady himself. As he did so, the rope suddenly loosened itself around the wooden post.

" _Run!_ " Corrin shouted.

Takumi looked up in confusion and his eyes widened as he saw Corrin pointing to the wooden post. He tried to take a step forward, but was forced to stumble backwards as the entirety of the bridge suddenly shook, as if a great weight had dropped on the other side of the bridge.

Time slowed down for Corrin. Takumi barely had enough time to tense his legs and jump for all he was worth before the rope finally snapped, sending half of the bridge falling as a lopsided angle. At the same time, a great roar echoed from the other side of the fog. Leo desperately called Takumi's name and waved his hand in his direction as he fell.

Corrin watched Takumi soar through the air for a series of heartbeats. He could see Takumi's pupils, dilated with fear, as he flailed his arms towards Leo. Takumi's fingers somehow managed to wrap themselves around Leo's wrist, even as Leo wrapped his fingers around Takumi's wrist.

Time sped back up for Corrin as sound returned to his list of senses. Takumi grunted in pain as his body slammed into the cliff wall. Everyone released the pent-up breath they had been holding as Leo gritted his teeth.

"That's…twice now," he managed to grunt as he pulled Takumi over the edge.

Anthony stood back his hands over his eyes, watching the whole scene by peeking between his fingers. "Wow…that would've been a long drop," he said quietly to himself, though Corrin heard him clear as day with his sharper hearing.

Takumi was too shaken to even come up with a pithy reply as he pulled himself over the ledge and stared up at the sky, his chest heaving. Sakura was immediately by his side, frantically undoing his armor straps as she lifted up his breastplate to reveal a series of splotches that were already beginning to turn purple.

"Ooh," Elise said under her breath. "That does  _not_  look…not-painful."

Takumi tried to sit up but Ryoma sauntered over and pushed his little brother down on his back. "Stay down," Ryoma said. "You're hurt."

Takumi struggled to look down at his chest without actually moving his head. "Well, yeah, I knew that, but I was wondering how bad the wound was," he said before breaking into a coughing fit.

Sakura anxiously waved her healing staff over his chest. "W-well, you see…nothing seems to be broken, but you're going to h-have some bruises for the next couple days."

Takumi let his head fall back in relief. "That's it? Just a couple bruises?"

Sakura nodded silently.

"Then why didn't you let me sit up? The way you made me lie down sounded like I just gotten stabbed through the chest with a rock or something!" Despite his harsh tone, Corrin could tell by how his head fell back onto the ground that he was relieved.

Corrin patted Takumi on the shoulder and stood back up as he walked over to Anthony, who was sitting dejectedly on a nearby stump. Corrin took a moment to address everyone behind him as he said, "Alright! I guess…this is a pretty good place to stop and take a break? Everyone, take this time to check your gear, relieve yourself, whatever. As soon as Sakura and Elise are done with Takumi, we'll march on."

Corrin sat down next to Anthony on a tree stump. "So, what do you remember about this? Does any of the surrounding area look familiar?"

Anthony shrugged. "I guess, sort of. I mean, things were a lot different back then."

Corrin wrapped a hand around Anthony's shoulder reassuringly. "Well, do you know how close we are to Castle Gyges, at least?"

Anthony nodded animatedly. "Yeah! But not only that, but we're also really close to that secret back entrance I was telling you about!"

Corrin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Nice. Is there anything we need to know about this 'secret entrance?' Like, where would it leave us in the castle after popping out, or—"

"Oh yeah!" Anthony interrupted. "Yeah, I don't know the word for it, but it leads into like this big room with a chair and a bunch of columns and…and…"

"Do you mean a throne room"" Corrin asked.

Anthony nodded again. "Yeah. That's what it was called. Anyways, if you want, I can show you where it is!"

Corrin opened his mouth to reply, but Xander cut him off.

"Hold on a moment!" Xander growled. "You there!" He leveled Siegfried towards Anthony, who flinched and fearfully gripped the edge of Corrin's cape.

"We're not following you  _anywhere_ ," Xander growled dangerously. "Falling for one of your traps once was more than enough."

Corrin looked at Xander. "What…are you talking about?" he asked.

Xander ignored him and shuffled around Corrin to get a better angle on Anthony. Anthony swallowed and clenched Corrin's cape even tighter with his fingers.

"You! It was you who made that bridge collapse, wasn't it? I saw you! You were closest to the bridge when the rope snapped!" Xander yelled.

Corrin jumped to his feet and raised his hands placatingly. "Xander, think about—"

"You ran and abandoned us as soon as you saw the first sign of danger!" Xander continued. "You're probably a spy for one of those Vallite forces! I'll cut you down where you stand!"

Xander raised Siegfried threateningly and slowly stalked over to Anthony. Anthony screamed and hid behind Corrin, wrapping his hands around Corrin's waist as he sobbed.

"Don't let him kill, please!" he begged. "I'm sorry I ran! I'm really sorry! Please, forgive me! Have mercy!"

Xander swung his sword at Anthony. Corrin pushed Anthony behind him and parried the blow.

"Xander! Stop!" Corrin said desperately as he simultaneously tried to pry Anthony off his legs and keep an eye on his older brother. "Think about what you're accusing him of!"

"Stand aside, Corrin. Why are you protecting him? Don't you see that he's the enemy?"

Corrin snapped. Using his free hand, he transformed it into a gaping dragon's maw which spat out boiling hot water out towards Xander. Xander raised Siegfried to block the water before screaming and dropping the weapon, clutching at his burned hands.

Corrin's eyes widened as he rush over to Xander. "Oh my gods! Xander! Are you alright? I'm so sorry—"

Xander interrupted him with a wave of his hand and looked up at him. "No need to apologize. I understand that you're doing what you think is right: protecting the young and the weak. But tell me this, why are you protecting… _him?_ "

Xander pointed at Anthony who was now hiding behind the tree stump, looking at the two men in fear. Corrin turned back towards Xander.

"Xander…" he said gently. "Think about what you're accusing him of! He's a child! A mere  _child!_  Do you honestly expect a child to stand their ground when surrounded by a bunch of monsters and corpses who've been reanimated by a king he tried so hard to escape from? Think about what you're accusing him of!"

"I—"

"That bridge was old and worn!" Corrin continued. "It's hardly surprising that it collapsed under Takumi's weight of all people when he was  _running_  across it."

Takumi frowned. "Hey! What're you saying-"

Camilla tutted and dismounted her wyvern. "I don't know…" she said slowly. "Considering how the bridge managed to hold  _all_ of our weight beforehand, only for it to collapse when Prince Takumi was crossing it…I agree with Xander on saying how that boy seems rather suspicious. He might've joined our ranks intending to mislead us."

Corrin looked at her incredulously. "Camilla! You can't just—"

Leo cleared his throat. "Seconded. From what you and Azura have told me about Anankos, while he may be insane, he is certainly not a fool when it comes to strategy. Sending out and planting a spy among his enemy's ranks is a surefire way to do some damage to us before we finally meet him. Corrin, you should listen and trust Xander's judgement on this."

Corrin turned towards Leo. "Leo! You too? Listen, you can't just—"

Corrin stopped and took a moment to collect himself before replying calmly, "No." He looked at each of them individually.

"I won't start doubting potential allies just because something might be possible! I agree, Anthony may have been closest to the bridge when it collapsed, but that does not necessarily mean that he was the one responsible for doing so!"

Xander sighed and bowed down to pick up Siegfried as he looked at Corrin with something that looked like admiration. "You're still just as naïve as ever," he said, shaking his head. He let a small smile crack through his stern façade.

"That being said, however, your ability to believe in people, no matter what happened, is the real reason how you made this army possible."

Corrin raised an eyebrow and looked at him quizzedly. "You…really think so?" he said hesitantly.

Leo nodded. "Of course! Nobody besides you could've united Prince Ryoma and Xander together like you did. Hoshido and Nohr are both too suspicious of each other for us to trust each other.  _You_  are the one who unites us. You are the crux of fate that binds all of our destinies together."

Xander nodded approvingly. "Well said, Leo. That being said, however, your tendency to just  _believe_  people is also one of your biggest flaws. Let your diligence and awareness falter for a moment, and someone may take advantage of you, or even more likely, wake one night with your throat slipped open."

Corrin swallowed. "O-of course. I understand."

Xander, Leo, and Camilla nodded gravely and walked away. Corrin sighed turned back to the elite guard, most of whom was watching the five of them silently. As soon as Corrin turned to look at them, they all averted their gazes.

Corrin shook his head and looked around at the ruins around them. "Use this time wisely," he said. "We leave in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Uh…Corrin?"

Corrin looked up from the sandwich he was eating. "Yes?"

Anthony shifted uneasily. "Do…you think I could talk to you for a moment?"

Corrin held up a finger and swallowed "Of course. What's wrong?"

Anthony gripped his hands in front of body and looked at Corrin hesitantly. "Well, after what happened at that bridge, it feels like nobody trusts me anymore. I'm scared that when we reach the back entrance, they might not follow me."

Corrin nodded. "Well, you can't blame them," he said without thinking. Anthony bit his lip and looked away, his face crestfallen. Corrin cringed.

"Of course, there's some of us here who still trust you," he added hastily.

Anthony shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But that's why I came up with a plan to help you guys infiltrate Castle Gyges!"

Corrin raised his eyebrows and set aside his meal. "Oh really? Well then, let's hear it!"

Anthony leaned in closer to Corrin. "Okay, so my plan was that I sneak in by ourselves and open the main gates.  _By myself._ "

Corrin looked at him skeptically. "You  _do_  know the castle is probably filled with thousands of troops, right? I'm sorry Anthony, but I can't allow you to follow through on this. It's too dangerous."

"I know it's dangerous," Anthony said, "But I'm afraid that this is the only way to get your friends to trust me! I'm worried that if we're attacked for some reason on the way in, I'm worried that  _I'll_  be blamed for it!"

Corrin grudgingly shook his head. "Yes, true, true," he said. "But it's still too dangerous. I'm sorry Anthony. I can't allow you to do this alone..."

Anthony looked crestfallen. "Well, at least—"

"…which is why I'm coming with you," Corrin finished.

Anthony looked at him in surprise. "W-wait, really? You'd still come with me? Even if your friends don't—I-I mean, that's great! Let's go right now!"

Corrin chuckled as he set his meal back inside of his knapsack. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes to prepare everything. Meet me by the column next to the stump."


	10. Chapter 10

Azura gently ran her fingers over a deep gash in a tree. Azura closed her eyes as she tried to remember what happened here. It wasn't difficult to forget.

The screams of the soldiers dying in droves as they tried to buy Azura and her mother enough time to escape. The roar of Anankos echoing throughout the entire valley as he reared his terrible head back in his triumph. The panting of her mother's breath as she carried Azura past this very tree. Her screaming as she ducked a split second before a wyvern's talon smashed through the trees, cutting through both men and trees like paper. Azura stood back up and continued deeper into the forest. Part of her knew that it was foolish to venture so deep into these woods by herself. The other part…well, the other part of her just wanted to see the lake.

_The lake…_

Azura gave a small, barely perceivable smile as she thought back to all the happy memories at the lake. Her father laughing as he dived into the clear waters. Azura closing her eyes tightly as she hung on to him. Her mother shrieking and scolding him for such reckless behavior, though the twinkle in her eyes gave it all away. Azura carefully stepped over a broken tree and pushed aside a series of bushes to find herself standing at the edge of a massive crater, thirty feet deep, and thrice the length. At first, Azura stared at the depression, flummoxed. She could have sworn that the lake had been here.

The answer came to her almost immediately. Anankos must have torn up and destroyed this section of the forest in his rage once he learned of Azura's and her mother's escape from Valla. That would almost certainly explain the destroyed trees and dried up lakebed. She walked around the edge of the lake and onto the pier, a rotten, wooden platform which jutted out eight, maybe ten feet out into open air. Azura leaned her naginta against a nearby tree and walked onto the pier, her feet wide apart to minimize the risk of the planks breaking underneath her.

Azura sat down at the edge of the pier, her legs swinging freely in the air. Azura longingly looked down in the hollow, hoping that by staring down at the cracked dirt, that the crater would somehow fill up with clear, sparking water once again. But it didn't. The lake will never have water in it again, and it will never allow Azura to create new memories for her to cherish.

She felt a great sadness welling up inside of her as she wiped away a tear. Yet another item on the list of losses She found herself keeping since her mother's death.

A twig snapped behind her. Azura instantly jumped to her feet and spun around, her hand flying down to her hips to grab the small dagger Corrin convinced her to put there. Azura was half-expectedly hoping to see Corrin burst out of the brush, cursing and stumbling as he tripped.

But it wasn't Corrin. Azura watched warily as a shadowy figure materialized over a small puddle of water and drifted onto the pier. Azura carefully edged around the figure and off the pier in order to grab her naginta, so that she could better defend herself.

Before she could reach it, however, the shadowy figure suddenly pulsed, expanded outward, and dissipated to reveal a man standing in its place. Azura gasped as the man turned around towards her.

The way how the boots and cuirass were spit-shined to near perfection. The messy, sandy red hair, sticking out beneath the sides of her helmet. The national emblem of Valla carved into the right shoulderpiece, the royal family crest on the left vambrace; the figure that stood before her could be no other than—

"Darius," Azura said curtly.

But it wasn't Darius. It could have never been him.

The  _real_  Darius would have had green eyes, the color of an emerald or a leaf in summer, full of grandfather-like mischief.  _This_  Darius' eyes were red and black: the eyes of Anankos.

"What message does your 'lord and king' have for me?" Azura asked coldly as she continued to inch backwards towards her naginta.

Darius planted his hands on his hips, threw back his head, and laughed. For a split second, Azura felt the childish urge to plop herself back on Darius' lap and ask him to tell her a story.

Darius was once part of Valla's royal guard, a group full of mages and soldiers alike who were chosen for this position not by the skill of the blade or arts alone, but also by their loyalty to the throne and whoever sits upon it. Most of the men were harsh, cold, and unyielding, since their position as the monarch's own private forces expected as much. Darius was much, much different. Unlike his fellow soldiers, Darius was an easy-going man, who enjoyed getting to know each and everyone of his superiors and subordinates. Despite being nearly ten years younger than Azura's father, Theophilus, the two of them were the best of friends.

But Darius was much more than that, however. He wasn't just a soldier devoted to protecting the throne and whoever sat upon it. He wasn't just a good friend of Theophilus. He wasn't just Azura's bodyguard and butler.

He was like an uncle to Azura. He was the one who retreated into his quarters after learning of Theophilus' death at the hands of Anankos and emerged cold, hard, and unforgiving, much like the rest of his fellow soldiers, yet he always somehow managed to spare her one of his smiles whenever Azura ran up to him to say hi. He was the one who taught Azura how to properly swim, and the one who pushed Azura and her mother to safety as he stayed behind with his men to fight off Anankos' puppets.

Azura did not see him die, but she heard him: a terrible, raw sound that terrified Azura almost as much as hearing Corrin making that same noise.

"Ah, lady Azura. It's good to see you too," Darius said, smiling. "You've grown since the last time I've seen you. And not just age-wise either. I'm sure your parents would've been very happy to see you, and I'm sure they're both very proud of you."

Azura's eyes narrowed. "So where are they now? Shouldn't three puppets have an easier time to kill me off?" she said.

Darius crossed his arms and shook his head, a smirk on his face, but made no movement to threaten or attack Azura. "Just like your father, milady. Always focused so much on the task at hand that everything, including your own health, could become secondary," he chuckled.

"Can't you see that it is  _you_  who is being difficult here and acting like a child. I mean, running away from your fate to serve under Anankos, begging your so-called 'friends' to help you. Don't you know that the only reason why anyone even bothers following you is because, privately, all of them wish to see you fail?  _Again?_ Doesn't it sound nice for you to return home to your parents? To be by my side once again? I know how much you used to enjoy those stories I told you by the fireplace. Perhaps we could do that again? Maybe this time, instead of me that's telling the story, maybe you could tell me how you've been doing? Tell me how Nohr and Hoshido have been doing. It's been a long time since I saw the sun. Is it still as round and bright as your face whenever I tell you the story of—"

Azura's eyes narrowed even further as a single tear rolled down her face. "What do you want?" she interrupted

Darius' scowled in irritation at being interrupted before his trademark grin returned to his face. "Oh, nothing," he chuckled. "It's just that Lord Anankos has a message for you."

Azura blinked. "Well?" she asked haughtily. "Are you going to tell me  _Darius?_ " She spat his name as if it were some bitter-tasting vegetable.

Darius chuckled again. "I'm sure you know that to our lord, humanity is nothing more than a pest to be wiped out. A new breed of vermin that must be exterminated, lest they threaten everything. A plague that necessitates the killing of a hundred to save a thousand."

"Then why are you here? Has Anankos decided to send you here to demand our unconditional surrender?" Azura asked mockingly.

Darius laughed. "Ha! You wish our lord was that merciful. For too long, milady, you have been a thorn in his side. An itch that he cannot scratch. There will be no painless death for you and your company. Every single one of you  _will_  cast down your weapons before our lord and die whenever he commands."

Here, Darius' voice took on a sinister tone as his near-pristine armor started to turn cloudy and rust. Scratches appeared everywhere on his person, and Azura watched in shock as a large crack appeared in the middle of his chestplaye and shot upwards. His sword cracked and shattered into infinitesimal pieces, leaving a jagged piece of metal six inches long.

"But not everything can be lost. Our master knows of the bond between you and that… _half-blood_." Darius rolled his shoulders and let out a very un-humanlike hiss. "He knows of the bond that is shared between the two of you, the…feelings…you have for him. Perhaps our lord would be…willing…to  _arrange_  a few things between you… _for a price._ "

Azura's fingers froze above her naginta. "What…sort of price?" she asked cautiously.

There was a sharp  _snap_  as Darius' head suddenly jerked violently to the right, Azura staggered backwards in shock.

"Give me your pendant. Lord Anankos promises that no harm will befell the two of you if you give him what he wants. All that he requires is the pendant and the death of that  _half-blood's_ army."

Azura's eyes narrowed even further as she closed her hands around her naginta and thrust it towards Darius, whose armor was now aged, decrepit, and rusted. Save for uttering a small grunt and taking a step back to keep balance, Darius did not react. Azura blinked in surprise at the puppet's reaction—or lack of—and tried to pull her naginta out of Darius' sternum.

Before Azura was able to retreat, Darius' head reoriented itself so that it was no longer upside down, and the gashes and wounds on his body faded. His sword, however, remained as broken and shattered as ever

"Az…Azura?" he whispered. Unlike before, his voice was much more human, much more recognizable. Azura blinked in surprise

"D-Darius? Is this actually you? And not some puppet of Anankos?" Azura asked, her voice shaking.

Darius shook his head, as if to clear his head, and spread his arms outwards cockily. "Of course it's me! Who else could I be?" he said. Almost immediately, however, his grin faded. "But…I need to tell you something. Soon, both my body and my soul will fade from this world…and I'll be forever free from Anankos' reign. In these last few moments, he has relinquished control over me, since there is nothing else my service is useful for. I need to—"

Darius suddenly grimaced. He looked at his hand, which was slowly turned clear and translucent—water. Despite the liquid appearance of his hand, he managed to clasp Azura's shoulder tightly.

"I don't have much time. Don't ask me how I know this, but Corrin is in danger! Anankos has sent his servants to assassinate him. You  _can't_  let him die. He's the key to all this. That, and his ability to use the Yato and transform it into the—"

Darius grimaced again and pressed his hand to his chest, as if there was some hidden wound there. Azura's eye's widened in surprise as his torso turned clear, revealing the organs and Darius' soul—a red, pulsing light— inside. Azura's naginta fell with a clatter to the ground, the tip wet with water, as Darius stumbled backwards.

"W-wait! What do you mean Corrin's in danger? Darius? Darius!"

She tried reaching forward to catch him, to cradle him in her arms before he completely passed, but her hands passed clean through him, leaving her hands sopping wet. She stared at them in bewilderment.

"Don't…let him…go…" Darius managed to say before falling on his back, his broken sword clattering to the pier. Right before his body touched the floor, he turned completely clear and dissolved into water, seeping in between the rotten floorboards

Azura collapsed to her knees as she stared mutely at Darius' broken sword. Part of her knew that Anankos had sent Darius specifically to unnerve her, to unsettle her. He knew Azura felt…unsettled about seeing those from her past, but on the other hand, if she could talk to Darius in his final moments, and not the puppet version of him, then maybe she could—

Azura put the thought out of her mind. No. Darius had moved on, and so had her mother. It would be better to let the dead rest peacefully.

Azura bowed her head and murmured one last prayer to the shattered sword on the pier before standing back up. Then, feeling very old and tired, she retrieving her naginta, and walking back into the forest towards the group. As she walked through the forest, she thought back to what Darius had tried to warn her about.

Sure, they might be stuck in a kingdom ruled by a dragon that can create servants and assassins out of thin air, but Corrin was surrounded by some of the best warriors in the land, and that wasn't even considering the fact that Corrin was a fearsome warrior himself and had the ability to  _turn into a dragon_. No. Something wasn't right here.

Azura knew that Anankos, prior to his madness, possessed great power and the ability to see into the future, or at least predict what was likely to happen. What if, in his madness, Anankos had accidently sent one of his puppets to  _warn_  her about the future, instead of assassinating her?

Azura frowned as she ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. No. Anankos hated humans with a passion she had never experienced before. How could he even consider the possibility of helping one? Maybe, in his insanity, he had somehow managed to rekindle his love for humans? But that still didn't answer the question as to how Corrin was in danger.

Again, he was one of the fiercest, yet kindest, people she knew. He could hold his own against overwhelming forces—she had just seen that less than an hour ago, on the bridge— and he was one of the kindest and charismatic people she ever met. Despite that, if he had one major flaw, it would be his inability to ignore those in need of help or kindness.

Azura's eyes widened as she froze in her tracks. " _Anthony_ ," she whispered, her voice.

If Anthony had managed to drag Corrin away from the group, then that would mean—

Azura broke out into a sprint as she dashed between the trees, her long blue hair flying behind her as she dodged and weaved. She burst out of the trees and ran right into Gunter.

Gunter staggered and gripped her forearms with his own, strong hands. "What th—"

Gunter's eyes widened as he realized he was holding onto Azura. "Ah. Excuse me. Where have you been, Azura?"

Azura managed to extricate her hands from his deathgrip and rubbed them reproachingly. "Where is Corrin?" she asked, avoiding the question.

Gunter frowned, the scars on his face deepening. "He went off alone into the forest with Anthony. Are you feeling alri—"

"And you  _let him?_ " Azura said, her voice steely cold. "What were you  _thinking?! He's our only hope of success and you let him go off into the forest by him—"_

" _Enough!_ "

Azura blinked and but immediately clamped her lips shut, though she still felt hot anger burning inside of her. Rare was the time Gunter raised his voice, but when such a moment occurred, everyone instantly flinched and averted their gazes, looking around them nervously. There was something  _sinister_  about his gaze, but Azura couldn't quite put her finger on it. Now, Azura knew why Corrin complained so much about Gunter when they were alone.

"You have to control yourself, Azura," he said sternly. "I know you're worried about him. So am I. So are all of us. He knew this was a trap and he left us a very specific set of instructions. If he doesn't return within a few minutes, then we are to follow the quote-on-quote "breadcrumb" spell he had Leo cast over him just before he left with Anthony."

Gunter raised a finger to cut her off again. "We were just about to send out somebody to try and find you, but it seems the gods themselves have deigned to allow you to find your way back to us by yourself."

Azura felt herself swell up in anger as she pushed herself away from Gunter and turned away so he couldn't see her face. What was it that her mother had told her to do to keep her temper in check? Count to some number silently? Drum out a beat with her fingers against her body? She took several deep breaths to calm herself. Once she felt the anger inside of her fade, she turned back towards Gunter.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Azura nodded but did not reply. Gunter grimly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I know you're worried. We were just about to send out a search party to find you so that we could have you along when we followed Corrin's trail."

Gunter looked at her with suspicion. "Are you  _sure_  you're alright? You look…shaken. Did you find something?"

"No," she said curtly. Corrin had pulled her aside privately that morning and told her his suspicions about a spy among their midst and asked her to not sneak away like she usually did back in the astral plane.

Azura knew, of course, why he had asked her to do this. If anybody had found out that she had been travelling to some hidden kingdom in secret back in the astral plain, rumors and suspicion would no doubt start to surround her, and she knew firsthand how deadly the consequences could be for ignoring them.

Gunter coughed and cleared his throat. "If you are  _done_  staring into empty space, Lady Azura, perhaps we should head off in search of my liege?"

Azura flinched and nodded. "Very well then. We'd best get started. Where did he go?" she said wearily.

* * *

"This…doesn't look like a secret entrance," Corrin said. "I mean, I know I'm not as familiar you are when it comes to navigating Valla, but this doesn't seem to be the most direct route."

Anthony pouted as he crossed his arms. "We have to take this route! This is the only way we can go if we're going to get to the secret entrance without being seen. I mean, I would take you to the most direct route, but that means taking you past a whole bunch of guards and—"

"Alright, alright. I get it. You would've taken me to the secret entrance using the most direct route, but since that path is filled with guards and I'm alone, it'll be a lot easier to take a detour, right?"

Anthony nodded. "Yeah! That's it!"

Corrin squinted up at the sun—until he realized Valla had no sun—and sat down in front of Anthony. "Anyways, this place seems to be a good place to rest. How much further do we have to go?"

Anthony idly scratched the back of his head. "After these ruins, we'll need to go through a forest, and once we're through  _that_  forest, we'll—"

"Don't tell me, we'll have to go through  _another_  set of ruins?" Corrin interjected as he idly drank from his waterskin.

Anthony looked affronted. "What? No! After the next forest, we should arrive next to a cliffside. At the top of the cliff is where Castle Gyges is."

Corrin looked up worryingly. "Then…how come we can't see it from here? Anankos must've taken the castle as his own once he conquered Valla, and from what Azura told me, he's not exactly the  _smallest_ —"

Anthony shrugged. "I don't know. We've always noticed a thick fog surrounding the castle, but I never thought much about it until I actually escaped. My guess is that they were supposed to, I don't know, alert the guards if one of prisoners try to escape?"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Then how come the guards weren't alerted when  _we_  came in?"

Anthony shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe Anankos is so lost in his madness that he feels confident that he's able to overwhelm and destroy anyone who enters his realm?" Anthony gave a small twinge.

Corrin looked at him with concern. "Anthony? Are…you alright?"

Anthony hunched his shoulders and shivered, as if he was cold. "Y-yeah," he said. "Just…a little bit cold."

"You're wearing a coat sewn by Flora, one of my maids from the  _Ice_  Tribe. If you're cold in  _that_ , I think you and I will need to have a little talk on the definition of 'cold.'"

"Anyways," Anthony continued. "Once we're at the cliff, we'll need to find and press this secret button-thing—it's really not that hard to spot, I carved a cross into it as I was escaping— and voila! You're in."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "I see. And there's no caveat for this thing to work? Like you don't need any of my blood? Or the sacrifice of my firstborn child? We just walk up and press a  _button_?"

Anthony nodded. "I-I don't know who dug the tunnel in the first place, but—"

Corrin interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hands. "Yeah, alright. I see, I see."

Anthony looked around and tapped the tip of his boot against the ground sheepishly. "Also, Corrin?"

"Hm?"

Anthony took a deep breath, as if to calm himself. "T-thanks. Thank you for believing me so far. It really means a lot to me to have someone who trusts me no matter what I do."

Corrin stood up and turned around to stretch his legs. "Eh," he said. "Unlike my siblings, I'm quicker to trust people and see the best of everyone. People say that it's a bad thing, but the way I see it, if we all trust each other, it'll make it that much easier for us to pull through."

Anthony nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah…I guess. It's definitely helpful, in certain situations. Truth be told, I think I'd much rather prefer you to be our ruler than Anankos."

Corrin shrugged and he stretched his arms over his head. "In a funny way, I guess that makes it all the more tragic?"

Corrin looked between his legs at Anthony. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Anthony stealthily slid a golden dagger out from beneath his back. "I mean, think about it. You make so many friends, but in the end, everyone dies alone. All those people happy to follow you, yet after today, they'll never be able to again."

"Anthony? What are you—"

Anthony uttered a ferocious screech and slashed at Corrin's back with his golden dagger. Corrin shouted with alarm and arched his back, the golden edge barely missing his bare skin by more than a few centimeters. He staggered back and tore Yato with his sheath.

"Anthony! What are you doing?" Corrin shouted. "Stop this!"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be!" Anthony replied. "Just…die, and all your troubles will be over!"

Anthony pressed towards him, his dagger a blur. Corrin reached out with his hand and struck Anthony across the face. Anthony yelped and staggered back from the force of the blow. Using Yato, Corrin deftly managed to work the tip of the legendary weapon between Anthony's fingers and flicked the weapon from his grasp.

Anthony's eyes widened as he felt the blood spurt from the palm of his hand and he fell backwards. He crawled away desperately and raised a hand to shield himself.

"N-no! Wait! Please! Mercy! I'm sorry for trying to kill you, I really am!" he sobbed.

Corrin twirled Yato and with a single stroke, brought Corrin up the Anthony's chin. Anthony yelped and gulped as he felt Yato's golden point poke his throat.

"Why, Anthony?" Corrin asked. Despite the flat expression on his face, there was a note of sorrow in his voice. "Why would you try to kill me?"

"B-because!" Anthony sobbed. "I hated working or Anankos, so when I told Ven about my plans for escape, she told on me! She ran to the nearest guard and threatened to have me executed! So I ran! Before I was able to cross the bridge though, that mage—the woman— appeared in front of me and cornered me. She forced me to find you and persuade you to come here with me alone so that she could kill you, once and for all!"

"And after that?" Corrin said, his tone growing cold.

Anthony started to cry. "And…and after that…" he said between sobs. "She was going to kill everyone that came with you into Valla! She said…she said something about 'cutting off the head of the snake.' She thought that your friends wouldn't know without you to lead them! I'm sorry!"

Corrin shook his head. "No. Whoever this mage is, she's wrong about us. I think she underestimated my friends, and I think you overestimated your abilities as a spy."

Anthony looked at him, trying not to flex away from the metal poking his neck. "W-what do you mean?" he asked.

"I never trusted you, Anthony. I really wanted to, but times like these, trust can be a hard resource to come by. I made sure, that before I left, that everyone in the group knew exactly where I was. I asked Leo to cast a spell on me that'll leave a series of trails behind me as I go," Corrin explained.

Anthony let his hands fall to his sides. "You…never trusted me?" he whispered.

Corrin sadly shook his head. "Like I said. I really wanted to trust you, but the situation demanded my caution."

Anthony sunk to his knees, defeated. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again. "At first, I didn't really care either way. So long as I lived, I was fine with doing whatever I could to survive, but once I met you, I just  _couldn't_ bring myself to kill you. At first, I thought the best way to kill you would be to just run up behind you and stab you, but…"

He shrugged. "I couldn't do it," he repeated. "I  _want_  Anankos to be overthrown, but I can't  _do_ anything! I'm just another puppet! Another soldier and avatar for him to take control of once I die. I wish…I wish—"

Anthony broke down into another fir of sobs. Corrin knelt down next to him and patted him on the shoulder, though he kept Yato unsheathed.

"I know why you did the things you did, but sometimes, you just have to be willing to stick your neck out for people. I would rather die than to live a life as a slave, wouldn't you?" Corrin asked gently.

Anthony looked up at him, his eyes puffy. "Why? Why would you forgive me? I was sent to  _kill_  you! How could you even bear to look at me, much less comfort me? I'm a failure! I'm worthless! I deserve to die! I-I—"

Corrin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't say things like that!" he admonished. "Everyone, man-made or natural, old or young, lame or fit, deserves to live. Even you. You may have made mistakes in the past, and you may have done the wrong things for the right reasons, but the important thing here is that you  _know_  why its wrong. Knowing  _why_ something wrong is a much more valuable lesson than simply apologizing and fixing it. You're  _not_  worthless, and you most  _definitely_  don't deserve to die. If it means anything to you, after this is all over, I promise we'll find Ven and talk it through more thoroughly,  _together_ , alright? I know you were an assassin sent to kill me, but that doesn't mean I don't think of you as a friend."

Anthony looked up at him. "You mean that?" he said tearfully.

Corrin grinned. "Yeah, I mean it," he said in a tone much more cheerful than he felt. "C'mon. Let's get up on your feet. Let's head back to the group." He stood up and extended a hand towards Anthony.

Anthony stared at Corrin's hand for a moment, before reluctantly accepting it and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. As Corrin patted him reassuringly on the back, he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye.

"Anthony, run," he said gravely. "We got some old friends here."

Anthony instantly shot upwards and grasped Corrin by the shoulder. "Listen! They're here to kill you, not me! You need to run! Don't worry about me, but you need to—"

Anthony screamed and kicked ferociously as two Vallite berserkers, both as thick as tree trunks and twice as sturdy, suddenly appeared under him and lifted him up by the arms. "No! W-wait! Stop! I-I used to be one of you guys! You can't do this!" he shouted. "C-Corrin! Help!"

Corrin scowled and slashed towards one of the berserkers holding Anthony aloft. With surprising nimbleness, the brute jumped backwards, cleanly avoiding the blow. Corrin prepared to draw Yato back for another attack, but a flash of steel glinting in the corner of his vision caught his eye.

He jumped back, but was too slow. He let out a howl as the blade cut deep into the arm holding Yato. He scowled and transferred Yato to his left hand. He  _hated_  fighting with his left hand.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to use Yato properly with his left hand—he was ambidextrous— but it just felt  _wrong_  to use his left hand instead of his right. He swung Yato in a wide arc around himself in an attempt to force the encroaching wave of twelve or so shield-and-spear-equipped Vallites back.

They all merely dodged his slow swings and continued to inch forward, prodding their spears and rapiers at him from a distance. Corrin started to feel a bit of panic inside of him as he felt his back press up against a stone wall, blood dripping through from a dozen different wounds.

In the background, Anthony continued to shout and kick uselessly at the brutes holding him hostage. He aimed a kick at one of their groins, but the guard simply caught Anthony's foot, lifted him upside down, and flung him into the ground.

Anthony's eyes widened in terror a split second before all the air in his body left in a bone crushing  _whoof_. The guard planted a foot on Anthony's chest as the other guard twirled its axe before raising it in preparation for the death blow.

Corrin roared and gripped Yato with both hands and charged forward, ignoring the blood flooding from his wound. He smashed through the blade of a sword and decapitated its holder before bring Yato in a wide arc in front and behind him.

He let out a satisfied smirk as he heard the sound of two more bodies falling to the floor. The rest of the Vallites, however, wised up and hastily backed away, using their spears to poke away at him and hiding behind their shields whenever Corrin got too close.

Corrin panted for breath as the world began to turn gray around him from blood loss. He spared a glimpse at Anthony, who was still on the ground pleading for his life as the brute ground his feet into Anthony's chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

Corrin made a desperate attempt to barge through the wall of shields surrounding him but was repulsed when a shield smashed into his chest, knocking out all the air in his body. Corrin raised an arm to shield himself from the deathblow that was surely coming, but a single green arrow suddenly streaked through the air and buried itself within the head of a the Vallite planted its boot on Anthony, tearing its helmeted head clean off its neck and burying itself within a tree.

Both Corrin and the Vallites froze and watched as the guard staggered backwards and blindly reaching up to the stump of its neck in surprise before collapsing to the ground and dissipating. Corrin took advantage of the distraction scrambled to his feet.

Before he could charge forward again, all of the Vallites suddenly dropped their weapons as they were wrenched into the air by some tree roots that had suddenly sprung out of the ground. The roots thrashed the Vallites around, bashing them together before all of the unfortunate soldiers all simultaneously went limp and dissolved into water, showering Corrin and Anthony with raindrops. Corrin shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up towards his potential-saviors.

"Corrin, you should know by now that we'll never let you wander off by yourself, right?" Takumi said as he nimbly swung himself down from the branches of a nearby tree, from where he had perched.

Corrin stared at him blankly. "So…w-wait—the spell actually worked like it was supposed to?" he asked dumbly.

Corrin heard a scoff behind him and he turned to see Leo trotting silently out from behind a couple of trees. "Of course it worked!" Leo said jubilantly. "Though I suppose now isn't exactly the best time for an 'I told you so' moment."

"Leo! You too?" Corrin exclaimed.

Leo gave him a rare smile and nodded as he turned his attention on a number of Vallites that had risen up in place of their fallen comrades. Behind Leo, Xander and Ryoma, along with the rest of Corrin's elite guard, shouting warcries and eviscerating any Vallites within their reach. Meanwhile, Azura and Gunter beelined straight towards Corrin, who shakily got to his feet.

"Well done," the old knight said as he placed a hand on Corrin's shoulder to steady him. "Rare is the warrior who is able to fall into a trap and escape unscathed. Relatively. Though we must discuss your…worrisome 'habits' later."

Corrin let out a small groan. No doubt, Gunter would find time somehow after all of this is over to sit Corrin down and berate him for doing something so reckless.

Meanwhile, Corrin let out a small grunt of discomfort as Azura hugged him harder than she ever had before. "Oh, thank goodness you're safe," she said.

Corrin hesitated for a second before returning the gesture. "You're not…mad at me? Or worried?" he asked.

Azura looked at him and frowned. "Admittedly, I was pretty worried and angry that you sneaked off by yourself, but I mean, you're not hurt, are you?"

Corrin shook his head. "Then I don't have any reason to be angry towards you," Azura finished. Corrin cracked a small smile, grateful for Azura's stoicism.

"That being said," Azura said. "I would  _like_  it  _very much_  if you told me what you were planning to do  _before_  you actually ran off to do it."

Corrin grinned sheepishly and nodded before shuddering involuntarily. There was just… _something_  about Azura's eyes that somehow managed to simultaneously attract  _and_  terrify him. Corrin frowned as he noticed Xander staring intensely at Anthony, who was still lying on the ground, an odd expression on his face.

"Xander, don't—"

Xander briskly strode over to Anthony, who dazedly sat up, as if surprised that he was still alive. Corrin tensed and loosened Yato in its sheath as he followed closely behind Xander.

Xander knelt down next to Anthony and stared at him with that same odd expression. Anthony noticed and fidgeted uneasily. "I-I don't r-really know how to say this, b-but I'm really so—"

"Anthony. I think I owe you an apology," Xander said formally.

Anthony blinked and opened his mouth in a small  _o._  "Oh! Um, what?"

Xander cleared his throat. "I'm here to apologize to you for…actions I may have done in the past. I realize now that despite your suspicious background, and despite your…behavior…I now see that I was wrong to ever accuse you of being a Vallite spy. We all heard your screams, and some of us even saw what you tried to do. And…I'm just here to apologize to you…about the whole, you know, bridge scene. And everything we thought of you before."

Anthony looked at Xander with something close to resembling both gratitude and guilt. "I…accept," Anthony said after a moment of deliberation. "But I'm sorry. I'm not what y-you think I am. I-I am…a Vallite spy."

Xander blinked. "What?"

Anthony coughed uneasily and looked down at his feet. "Well…I mean, I was. B-but you know, I switched sides! But …I guess you were right about me all along…I am a Vallite spy"

Xander did not respond but continued staring into the distance. Corrin grimaced and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Xander. You saw how they were treating him. Do you really think he'll go back to serving them just like that? Please, don't be like our father.  _Show_  some mercy! I—"

"Enough," Xander said, standing up, his voice low and hard.

Anthony yelped and seemed to shrink beneath Xander's terrifying visage. Corrin futilely tried to pull his older brother away from Anthony, pleading him to forgive him.

"You're lucky I'm not like my father, Anthony," Xander said. "I understand you originally planned to betray us to Anankos, but after watching you beg for Corrin's life, and not just your own, I must admit, I find that rather…admirable."

Anthony looked back up at Xander, this time, his face seemed to portray something much closer to surprise.

"Make no mistake, however," Xander continued, his voice still low and hard. If you even think about trying to betray us again, count yourself lucky if I don't get to you first."

Anthony gulped and Corrin ruefully shook his head. "I think that's enough, Xander. We've been through quite the journey today. Give him a break, would you?"

Xander did not reply but stomped away from the two of them, his cape billowing behind him. Azura, who was watching tensely from a distance away, released the pent-up breath she had been holding and crossed over to Corrin. Corrin sighed and offered his hand to help Anthony up.

Anthony looked up in surprise, but after a second hesitation, gratefully accepted it. To Corrin's surprise, however, Anthony's hand suddenly turned smoky purple as he grasped it.

"Anthony? What's…wrong with your arm?" Corrin asked, perplexed.

Anthony frowned in confusion. "What do you mean…?"

His eyes widened in panic as he realized that the purple smoke was slowly spreading up his arm. He desperately waved his arms around.

"C-Corrin? What's happening?"

Corrin pushed his hair back as he looked around desperately. "Azura! Call Elise and Sakura!" he called.

Azura nodded and ran off towards Sakura and Elise, who were busy tending to one of Nile's many wounds. Corrin turned his attention back on Anthony and was alarmed to see that the purple smoke had spread all the way up his arms and his legs were beginning to dissipate as well.

"C-Corrin?" Anthony reached out towards Corrin and somehow managed to wrap an arm around Corrin's waist as his other arm clutched at his stomach. "I don't…I'm not feeling so good."

Corrin gripped him tightly. The breath of life that Anankos had breathed into Anthony had finally turned against its useless and most cowardly owner; Anthony was reaping the reward for his cowardice, his moment of pity, his inability to kill.

"Don't worry Anthony, you're going to be alright. I promise." He looked over his shoulder to check Azura's progress. "Hurry!" he bellowed towards Elise, who was running towards them.

Anthony's hands scrabbled up Corrin's back as he suddenly screamed in pain. Corrin pushed him away, startled, as he looked down at Anthony in concern and staggered backwards in even more shock as he realized that the entirety of Anthony's body was covered in the purple smoke.

"Corrin! Stay back!" Gunter shouted at him. Corrin stared dumbly at Anthony, who collapsed onto the ground and began to twitch paranormally.

"H-help…" he groaned. Corrin watched in horror as Anthony, now fully overtaken by the purple smoke, writhed in pain and screamed as… _something_  began to happen to him.

Anthony screamed again as a loud  _snap_  scraped against Corrin's ears. One of what looked like was once one of Anthony's arms suddenly doubled, then  _tripled_  in size. The rest of the body soon followed. Throughout the whole process, Anthony's breathing—a panicked, high-pitched sawing—continued to reverberate within Corrin's ears as Elise tried to pull him away.

"W-why? Please…no…I'm…sorry…" Anthony finally gasped before his breathing suddenly stopped. The purple mass continued to writhe and pulsate on the ground as Corrin finally forced himself to back away.

With a monstrous roar, the purple smoke suddenly exploded outwards, knocking over Corrin and Elise, and rose up to reveal a massive Faceless standing over a splotch of blood and gore. The monster roared and swatted at Corrin and Elise with one of its gore-filled fingernails. Corrin struggled to unsheathe Yato as he scrabbled to his feet while Elise screamed stumbled backwards in shock.

Then, just as quickly as the monster had appeared, a burst of blue-hot fire flashed through the air and cut into the iron mask on the Faceless' head. The monster poked a scab-covered finger into the massive hole in what used to be its face before swaying and falling backwards.

As it fell, Corrin could faintly hear Anthony's voice whispering "Thank you," as the corpse dissolved into smoke.

Corrin stared wide-eyed at the iron mask that had once been worn by Anthony. He barely paid any attention when Azura walked up behind him and slid her fingers into his, squeezing his hands reassuringly. He continued to stare, horrified at what he had just seen.

No one deserved to die like that, being transformed into…one of those things. Corrin had seen his own share of horrible things on the battlefield: decapitated heads stuck on wooden spears, a man screaming in pain as his executioner cut off his hands, a man's head exploding as a burst of magic boiled his brains, but nothing compared to what he just witnessed. Corrin felt a stream of bile rising up in his throat as he turned and vomited onto the ground in front of him. Elise patted him on the back awkwardly as she spouted off information on how to get better, her voice shrill and shaking, as he gasped for breath.

Coughing, he stood back up. "Does…does anyone…want to…" His voice died halfway through.

Nobody responded. Instead, they all shifted uneasily and took a sudden interest in their boots. Corrin pursed his lips angrily as he looked around at them.

"Fine then. If nobody has anything to say to…then we need to move out. Anankos knows we're here," he said.

Ryoma shifted uneasily. "Are…you sure you don't want to say anything, Corrin? I mean…I know some of us didn't like him or trust him as much as you did, but that's still no excuse to—"

"He was one of Anankos' servants. He betrayed him, and then he joined us, and then he betrayed us to Anankos. End of story. I'm pretty sure that's what all of you would've said, right?  _Move out,"_  Corrin snapped.

Xander, Azura, and Ryoma looked at each other uneasily. None of them had heard Corrin this angry before voice before. "A-are you su—?" Xander asked.

Corrin glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure!" he shouted. "We need to move.  _Now_."

Leo coughed. "Er, I don't want to play devil's advocate here, but our guide just sort of..."

Corrin turned on Leo. "Don't," he said curtly.

Leo blinked in surprise. "Ah, I mean, well, our only reliable, if not shady, source of information, is…absent, for lack of better terms. How are we going to find the secret entrance?" he asked warily.

Corrin turned and pointed towards a road leading further into the woods. "Anthony said that beyond this set of ruins, there would be a road leading through a forest that should take us next to a cliffside. Within that cliffside is a secret tunnel or door. There's a button with a cross scratched into it. Press it, and we're in."

Everybody looked at each other uneasily. "Are you—" Xander asked again.

Corrin snapped again. "Yes I'm sure! If you hadn't noticed,  _Xander_ , an innocent boy just  _died_  in front of us. I'd be pretty willing to make sure his dream that Anankos gets overthrown gets completed sometime soon, wouldn't you?"

Xander blinked. "Well, Yes, but I mean—"

"Then if you have nothing else to say, then move out.  _Now_."

Grudgingly, everybody packed up and set off on the trail Corrin had indicated, whispering quietly among themselves as Corrin found himself marching at the front of the group. As they walked, Azura slipped up behind Corrin.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked quietly.

Corrin did not look at her but he clenched his fist. "Yes," he said curtly.

Azura frowned. "No, you're not. What's wrong?"

Corrin's right eye twitched, the way he did whenever he was angry but was trying not to show it. "I think you know what's wrong," he said in a low, hard voice.

"A boy just died in front of me. I promised him that I would reunite him with his friend, and that together, we would overthrow and defeat Anankos. I think it's pretty obvious that you know what's wrong."

Azura bit her lip, trying to pick out her words carefully, to avoid upsetting Corrin more than he already was. "Corrin, I…hope you know that that wasn't  _really_  Anthony."

As Corrin angrily turned on her, she hastily added, "Some puppets have freewill!"

She looked down at her feet guiltily. "I'm be honest, when you left with Anthony…I snuck off into the woods. By myself."

"You  _what?_ "

Corrin angrily turned towards her. "I thought I told you—"

"I know!" Azura retorted. "But something about those ruins seemed…familiar, somehow. And I wanted to look around."

Corrin grunted and looked away. "So what'd you find?" he asked. Even in his anger, Corrin was mindful about Azura's past.

Azura pursed her lips and fiddled with a piece of hair. "Well, I sort of found a lake."

Corrin looked at her blankly. "A lake. You ran off…to find a lake."

Azura glared at him. "It's not just a lake!" she snapped. "It…used to be where my father and mother took me on our off-days…"

Corrin grimaced. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry."

Azura nodded. "Yes, well, you see, while I was…looking at the lake, er—actually what was  _left_  of the lake—Anankos somehow destroyed and dried it up sometime after my mother and I escaped Valla, and I…bumped into someone."

Corrin glanced at her through the side of his eye. "Who was it?"

"Oh, well, it's kind of…hard…to explain. Anankos sent one of my old…I don't what to call him—he was sort of like my bodyguard, but he was also a sort-of butler—"

"Do you mean a retainer?"

Azura snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's what I meant. Er, like I was saying, while I was looking…at a lake…Anankos sent Darius, one of my old retainers."

Corrin raised an eyebrow, his anger temporarily forgotten. "Oh really? What did he do? You're not hurt, are you?"

Azura shook her head. "Oh no, he didn't do anything to harm me, but…he talked to me. And he offered me a deal…"

"What…kind of deal?" Corrin asked warily. "I hope you know that literally anything Anankos says to us could be part of his madness."

Azura frowned at him. "I know!" she retorted. "It's just…whatever. Long story short, he appeared in front of me, told me that 'Lord Anankos' would spare us if I gave him my pendant, and then died."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "Wait,  _died?_ "

Azura shrugged nonchalantly, even though her knees were threatening to buckle underneath her. "Yeah. I sort of stabbed him with my naginta."

Corrin grunted again and faced forward again. "But before he…died, he spoke to me," Azura continued. " _He_  actually spoke to me. Like, it wasn't some puppet being controlled by Anankos. It was actually Darius talking to me. And…and…he told me of how happy he was to see me…and then he just  _died_  in front of me."

Azura sniffed and wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "Anyways," she said, her voice thicker, "I stabbed him, and then he just…vanished. But I think the important thing here is that…not everyone, as much as I hate to admit it, not everyone is free from the games of those more powerful than them. I'm sorry Corrin, but Anthony, the person, must've died a long time ago, and that person you were talking to all this time…I'm afraid that he was just a puppet. A corpse reanimated and used by Anankos to lure you into a vulnerable position."

Corrin frowned and rubbed his chin. "But…the trap failed, didn't it? In the end, Anthony wasn't acting on Anankos' orders. In the end, he was actually trying to  _save_  me. He threw himself in front of those Vallites, and he tried to apologize to me afterwards."

Azura frowned. "That's…not likely. I haven't heard of a time where people can just…regain their consciousness like that…" she murmured. "Normally, it's only when they're useless to him as a servant is when Anankos releases control over them."

"Maybe, in his madness, Anankos released Anthony a little bit too early?" Corrin asked hopefully.

Azura shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. The point is, I'm  _worried_  about you. I've never seen you like that before. Shouting at your own siblings, snapping at me, sulking off by yourself: none of these things are like you. I know you just watched a…graphic…scene, but—"

Corrin sighed. "Fine, you want to know why I want to punch everything right now? Frist off, not only did Scarlet die when this whole thing just barely got started, but a  _boy_ , a  _child_ , less than ten years old just died in front of me after he  _just_  confided in me that his biggest dream was to see Anankos overthrown. Guess what didn't come true for him? Overthrowing Anankos and living to see the day. And what did everyone else do when I asked for someone to give a eulogy?  _Nobody responded._  Nobody! A  _child_  just gave their life up for us, and yet they don't have the common decency to say a few words, to shed a few tears? How could I  _not_  get angry at that?"

Azura bit her lip, shaken by Corrin's outburst. "Corrin…" she said gently.

"And you know what's worse? There's probably a couple hundred soldiers out there, who are barely over the age of manhood, and are already risking their lives just so we can find a secret passageway and sneak in. I mean everyone probably think me as a pathetic fool for grieving so much about a single child while, there's probably hundreds, thousands more out there just like him."

"Corrin!" Azura shouted. Behind him, Niles and Odin both blinked and hastily dropped back towards the back of the group.

"Listen to me," she said. "I know you hate yourself right now. I know you hate being unable to help those who need help, but quite frankly, if you're going to be this upset and angry about a child dying, you'll spend half your life in a rage!"

"Are you implying that what we all saw was 'just a child dying?'" Corrin said dangerously.

"No! No, that's not what I meant at all!" Azura said, shocked. "All I'm saying, is that if you're this angry, how are you able to focus on the battle in front of us? If you can't focus, Anankos will never be defeated, and that means there's going to be hundreds, thousands,  _millions_ , of future children who will have the same fate! All you can do for Anthony at this point is to press on and honor his memory by fighting for him as hard as you can. And if it means forgetting the fact that he ever existed in the first place, I'm sure will be happy to accept that fact. All you can do is press on. This won't be the last horrible thing you'll see, and it sure won't be the last if you continue to remain this angry."

Corrin glared at her before staring at the ground. "I see," he said again, in that low, dark voice.

Azura forced him to look at her. "As for why nobody volunteered, what were expecting out of them? It happened so quickly, nobody was even expecting it. Only Leo, who knew how to create Faceless in the first place, knew what was going on! Nobody thinks you as a fool for grieving over a child! That just shows that—depite your dragon blood—you're as human as the rest of us! You care about people! I know you hate this more than anything else, but…" Azura's voice dropped to little more than a whisper, "…but if you can't go on…then none of us can…"

Corrin said nothing but wrapped his cloak more tightly around his shoulders as he stormed ahead of her.

"Corrin!" Azura called. "Where—"

"I need some time to myself, Azura," he snapped back. "I know you want to help, but I don't want to hear it right now."

Azura silently watched him storm off, despair on her face.


	11. Chapter 11

"So our spy failed?"

"He was never ours to begin," a cold, female voice replied. "His convictions were strong, but his heart was weak."

"So he failed," the first voice, a deep, gravelly-sounding rumble, retorted.

The second voice spluttered in indignation for a few seconds. "W-well, yes, but at least now we know where they are."

"And where, exactly, are they?" a third voice entered. Like the second, this voice was female, but unlike the second, the third voice was warm and motherly.

The second voice hesitated for a second before responding, "They are currently in the Lost Forest, heading towards one of the tunnels underneath the castle."

"And right into another one of your traps, I presume?" the gruff voice asked.

"Correct."

"I do hope this one will work better for you this time, Arete. Lord Anankos was furious at your cowardice when they first entered Valla."

Arete shuffled nervously. "I did not plan for them to activate all of the dragon veins so quickly. I should've sent a majority of my forces to a few specific dragon veins rather than spread my forces out between all seven. By the time I knew what they were planning, there was nothing I could do."

"As it were, your failure to stop the half-blood and that…woman will not be tolerated again. Lord Anankos has promised a thousand years worth of pain for each of us should one of us fail him again. I would rather combine all three of our forces and overwhelm that half-breed's group at once." the first voice replied. "Mikoto, what are your thoughts?"

"Hm? Ah, forgive me. I mean no disrespect, but I believe your plan has several glaring flaws in it. We cannot afford to ignore the majority of Corrin's army. Despite their main role as a distraction, they are a dangerous one, and we can't let them overtake us. Also, their…tactician…is interesting indeed. I've never seen him move an army so large so fluidly. Perhaps you should take a page from his book, Arete"

"Yes, but that half-blood's group is more dangerous still," Arete replied, ignoring the insult. "Should they infiltrate the castle, there will be little to no opposition between them, and Lord Anankos."

"Nonsense," the first voice scoffed, his voice echoing around the tunnel they were standing in. "Their group is little more than a smattering of cowards who were too afraid to fight on the frontlines and women who have mistaken a spear for a common kitchen knife. They are no threat to us."

"Excuse me?" Arete snapped. "Need I remind you, Sumeragi, that it was a coward who brought you into Lord Anankos' servants in the first place?"

Before Sumeragi could utter a retort, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the tunnel as a massive talon reached out from the darkness ahead of them. Almost immediately, all three of the figures knelt to one knee bowed their heads respectfully

"Ah—forgive us, Lord Anankos. I—"

" _YOU…WILL NOT LET THEM INTO…MY CASTLE_ ," a voice rumbled. Unlike the previous voices, this voice was much, much deeper, and was frayed with the growls and raspiness of a dragon. The claw raised one talon deftly and pointed it towards Arete, who shivered as the ivory-tipped talon touched her brow.

" _YOU WILL…LET THEM INTO THE TUNNELS, AND YOU—"_  The talon gestured towards the other woman, " _WILL KILL THEM. HERE. IN MY CASTLE."_

"Wh-what about me, milord?" Sumeragi asked. Arete and the other woman averted their eyes and hastily moved out of the way as three, blood-red eyes opened, bathing Sumeragi in a spotlight of blood-red light.

Sumeragi's jaw dropped as he stared at the fell orbs. Before he could react, he suddenly screamed in pain and clutched his arm as they elongated, the bones creaking, the muscles tearing. Then, just as quickly as it had distorted itself, Sumeragi's arm returned to its original appearance.

" _HOW DARE YOU TALK TO_ _ **ME**_ _?"_ the raspy voice roared. " _ALL OF YOU…ARE VERMIN BENEATH MY FEET."_

"P-please, milord! I meant no—" Sumeragi screamed again as his other arm underwent the same process: stretching out to the point when the skin was starting to tear and show muscle, only to snap back to its original appearance.

Sumeragi, still shaking with pain, remained silent this time as he bowed his head and retreated. A thunderous snort echoed throughout the chamber as the eyes closed, creating a clean  _snick_  sound which echoed around the chamber.

" _YOU, HUMAN, WILL STOP THAT…MAN. HE STINKS OF ANOTHER DRAGON…OF ANOTHER WORLD. YOU…WILL STOP HIM."_

All three of bowed low to the ground as they backed away and out of the tunnel, the massive golden gates closing them behind them. Sumeragi sighed in relief as he rested his hand against the wall.

"Well, at least it wasn't as bad as what he did to you, Arete," Sumeragi panted.

"You really must learn to keep your lips shut," Arete said coldly as she shuddered involuntarily and walked away.

"And…where are  _you_  going?" Sumeragi growled as he glared at her.

Arete barely paused to look over her shoulder as she replied scathingly, "Getting back into Lord Anankos's good books. You should consider doing the same."

Sumeragi scowled as he balled his fists. "Oh, you're a real piece of work, Arete. Pretending to be all efficient and mighty just because you've been in Anankos' service the longest."

Arete shot him a scathing glare over her shoulder before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. Mikoto, who had been lurking in the background the whole time, sighed and steered Sumeragi in the opposite direction.

"Perhaps you should actually starting to do your duty," she tutted.

Sumeragi scoffed as he brushed her off. "Hah! What duty? All Anankos has asked of me is to spend more time doing what I love! Waging battle against enemies of the throne, and crushing everyone beneath me!"

Mikoto sighed as she pushed forward and broke off into a different direction. Sumeragi frowned as he noticed her absence. "And where are  _you_  going now?"

"To make preparations for my own part," she replied.

Sumeragi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You're not thinking of making the same mistake Arete's servant did and trying to desert, are you? You know Lord Anankos will find you."

Though Mikoto remained expressionless, her breath hitched. "No, of course not. I am loyal to Lord Anankos, and only to him. I simply…needed to study up on Corrin's strategy and see what I can do to stop him. Hopefully, Arete will do her job well enough so that my part will be unneeded"

"But in case they  _do_  break through Arete's defenses, you're sure that you'll be able to kill that filthy half-blood, right?" Sumeragi asked.

Mikoto paused to throw a reproachful glance over at Sumeragi. "For your information, Sumeragi, Corrin is as much as your child as he is mine. Do try to show  _some_  respect. He has come a long way…to rejoin us."

* * *

"This forest does seem like it goes on forever, doesn't it, big sis?"

"Hm?"

Azura looked up from the ground in front of her and looked over at Elise, who had trotted up on her pony. "Pardon me, but what did you say?"

"I  _said_  that this is a really big forest," Elise repeated cheerfully. Despite the events earlier that day, namely Anthony transforming into a monster after a gory and gruesome scene, and Takumi nearly falling to his death not once, but twice, Elise still managed to somehow keep a cheerful smile on her face.

"Do you know how big it is, Azura?" Elise asked.

Azura shrugged. "I-I mean, I don't know the  _exact_  number of trees here in this forest, but I know it's pretty large."

"Do you remember anything about this place?" Elise continued to ask.

Azura shrugged again. "A little bit. Not much though. Just riding in my father's lap whenever he deigned to take me hunting. Holding my mother's hand whenever she took me on a stroll."

" _Wow_ ," Elise said, her eyes bright. "you sure had a lot of time with your mother, huh?"

Azura smiled faintly. "Well, no, not really. She was a queen, and as such, had queenly matters to attend to, but the few days she had time, we would always spend it together."

"Oh…" Elise's smile disappeared from her face as she took a sudden interest in her pony's mane. "I wish I had a mother as great as yours."

Azura's lips tightened. She had forgotten that, like her, Elise had grown up in Garon's court, and unlike Azura, never had a mother that truly cared for her.

"I mean, I did have a mother, but she never really cared about me that way, you know? Like she didn't hang out with me and read books with me or hold my hand. All she wanted to do was to use me to make Father like her more," Elise said bitterly.

Azura remained silent but awkwardly patted Elise's leg as they continued to walk silently.

"Anyways," Elise said casually, "is there anything else about your old life you remember?"

Azura raised and lowered her shoulders. "If I remember correctly, Valla used to have one of the richest and revered libraries in the world."

Elise' eyes widened in excitement. " _Woah_ …did you spend a lot of time there too?"

Azura shook her head. "No. I've always wanted to read a book in one of Valla's Grand Royal Libraries, but unfortunately, most of them were destroyed, burned to the ground, buried, or forgotten about when Anankos at—"

Azura grunted as she ran headlong into Xander's back. "Oh! Xander! Sorry I didn't—"

Azura's voice died in her throat as she followed Xander's gaze to a virtual blockade of Vallite soldiers standing before them. And standing ahead of the wall of shields was…

"You," Corrin growled towards woman dressed in a cloak and whose face was concealed by a hood, as usual.

"Me," the mage replied coldly. Again, there just  _something_  about that mage's voice, the way how familiar it sounded to Azura.

"Welcome, each and every one of you," the mage said graciously. "I hope you have been enjoying your visit to Valla."

"Well, your attractions are slop, and your 'employees' are about as attracting as an unmasked Faceless," Corrin jeered. "How about you finally man up and fight us face-to-face, instead of running off whenever you run out of soldiers to throw at us?"

The woman may have sneered, it was hard to tell from underneath her hood. "I see your range of insults has improved, if only slightly. If it is a honest fight you wish, and not a strategic one, then I will grant you your wish. Be warned however, my master was very… _displeased_  with my failure to prevent you from entering Valla. I have no wish to endure that same level of punishment again, so I'm afraid you'll need to try a little harder."

"Our fortitude and skills have doubled since the last time we've met, you cur," Gunter growled. "If anything, it is  _you,_ who will need to try harder."

"Well, zero times two is still zero, I'm afraid," the mage retorted. "And I've seen that your party looks most displeased with me. Has it something to do with that boy I sent you? What was his name again? Tony? Adrian?"

"It was 'Anthony', you monster," Corrin scowled. "And you're going to regret ever using and sacrificing a child like that."

The mage shrugged. "What of it? Not everyone makes it back from war. Especially the innocent. As for having a 'face-to-face- fight, I suppose it would be remiss of me to continue hiding my identity from you."

With that statement, the mage reached up and tore the cloak off her body, revealing a woman with short, choppy hair, and blue hair—the same shade of blue as Azura's. The woman donned a helmet pruned with a single, large feather as a set of pauldrons materialized on her shoulders, emblazoned in gold with the Silent Dragon of Valla symbol upon them.

Azura gasped. "Mother? B-but that's impossible! You died…"

The mage gave no indication that she had heard Azura as she clambered onto a skeletal horse that had appeared next to her.

"I am Arete. The seventh queen of Valla, and devoted servant to the great ruler of this land, the mighty Anankos," she proclaimed.

Azura shook her head in disbelief. "But…it can't be…"

Arete mockingly tilted her head towards Azura. "Are you really that surprised, my dear? Everyone who enters Valla is King Anankos' servant, willingly or not. I was unsuccessful in repelling you the first time, but this time, I shall not fail."

"You…were the mage we fought all those times," Azura said slowly, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

Xander kneaded his forehead. "What source of trickery is this? Do we have to fight Azura's  _mother_  to move on?" He turned towards Corrin and azura. "I know you said that Anankos could raise the dead and bend them to his will, but you never said anything about them still being alive!"

Corrin ignored Xander and glanced towards Azura, who continued to stare at the figure ahead of her. "Are you alright, Azura?" he asked. "I can't imagine how you must feel right now, but we have to push forward. We can't afford to let her slow us down."

Azura nodded, but continued ogling the mage. "I'm…alright," she said after a moments hesitation. "I know this… _thing_  isn't my mother, no matter how much she looked like her. Without any memories of my mother's past, this thing is nothing but a puppet."

The mage threw back her head and laughed. "Hah! You must think me a fool if you hope to distract me with such petty talk. 'Mother.' What nonsense. I'm as alive as you are right now. The only difference between your 'mother' and I is that I have only one goal—to kill you all. Lord Anankos has decreed it so, and so I shall carry out his wishes!"

The mage conjured a ball of purple flames in her hand . "Everything I do, I do in name of the almighty Anankos!" she shouted before lobbing the fireball towards Corrin.

Gunter tackled Corrin, pushing him down, and the fireball soared over the heads and splashed against the tree. Corrin swore and swung Yato in a wide arc around him as he scrambled to his feet.

"Get her!" he yelled.

Without hesitation, Corrin, Silas, Ryoma, and Xander charged forward, brandishing their own weapons as they shouted ferocious warcries. The rest of the group soon followed them.

Time soon blurred for Azura. She was dimly aware of her slowly being pushed to the back: her naginta was more useful when she had room to pirouette and dance away. Once or twice, she caught a glimpse of Corrin running through a Vallite soldier's chest with a lance-like appendage sticking out of his arm. Another time, Azura thought she had saw Ryoma and Xander working together to cleave through a line of shield-bearing spearmen, cutting the men and shields in half as if it was as durable as paper.

After what seemed like an eternity of fighting, Azura found herself face-to-face with the woman who resembled her mother.

"Why is it looking at you gives me such a splitting headache?" the mage hissed as she circled around her. "Is this some sort of trick or weapon? What else could this pain be?"

Azura blinked in surprise as she dodged one of the mage's clumsy stabs. "But…could it be…?" she muttered to herself as she jabbed towards the mage.

The mage growled as a particularly heavy blow from Azura's naginta knocked her back a step. "No matter—I can't allow you to go any further. Killing you will undoubtedly make this pain go away. Prepare for the next world!"

"I…met another servant…just like you!" Azura panted. "He looked…and sounded…and acted just like the man he was based on. In the end, he was nothing more than a puppet! I knew that…should I meet another one like him, I would have no choice but to strike them down myself!"

The mage did not respond but unleashed a flurry of stabs towards Azura. Azura yelped in pain and tried to dance away as one of the mage's stabs found its mark on her upper right-thigh. The mage, sensing her advantage pressed forward.

Soon, it was not Azura who had the upper hand, but the mage. The mage had managed to get under Azura's guard, and was slowly forcing her back, step by step. As they fought, Azura slowly became aware of the ground beneath them growing slippery from the blood cascading out of her leg whenever she put her weight on it.

The second wound was also Azura's: a gash above one eyebrow after the mage accidently struck her head with the pommel of her short sword, tearing skin and hair. Of the two wounds, Azura found the second to be the most aggravating, mainly because blood kept dripping into her eye at the most inopportune times.

Then Azura managed to catch the mage on the shoulder, her naginta stabbing through the ornate pauldron and into flesh and bone. As far as Azura could tell, the wound did not seem to impair the mage's ability to fight by much, but it seemed to cause the mage a great deal of pain, as well as preventing her from lifting her arm up any higher than her chest.

Azura received a cut to her left calf, and then—when the mage was still in the middle of recovering from a failed attack—Azura moved around to the mage's weak side—the side where she had managed to stab her— and brought down her naginta as hard as she could upon the middle of the mage's left greave, tearing armor and breaking bone.

The mage howled in pain as she jumped back on one leg. Here, Azura felt the tide shift in her direction. As a result of her shoulder wound and broken leg, the mage was unable to defend herself properly, and fell back onto the ground when Azura delivered a particularly heaving blow to shattered the mage's short sword.

As the mage fell, Azura saw the mage's hand reaching into her robes, undoubtedly to pull out some sort of tome or weapon. Without hesitation, Azura completed her pirouette and stabbed the mage through the chest, pinning her to the ground.

The mage coughed, and a spray of blood soon coated the front of her armor. Azura stared, taken aback. She had not meant to kill off her mother—no, the puppet— so brutally, but she had been caught up in the moment. She flinched as Corrin placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her away, murmuring softly into her ear.

"A…Azura."

Azura's eyes widened as she turned around to see the mage, still pinned to the ground, reaching weakly towards her.

"Azura, come closer to me…please, Azura."

"D…did she just…?" the words died in her throat as she felt herself walking towards her.

Corrin tightened his grip on her arm. "Maybe we shouldn't? This could be another trap."

"Anankos has released me from my service. Soon…soon both my body and soul will disappear forever…Ah, my sweet Azura, I remembered you…finally…" the mage crooned.

"But…it might not be," Azura whispered to Corrin. "I have to do this."

Corrin pursed his lips but released her. Azura walked silently over to her mother's side and knelt down next to her. The mage reached up to stroke Azura's face. She pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Oh…you've grown so much…and into such a fine woman," her mother whispered.

A single tear fell onto the mage's chest as Azura shifted in order to hold her. "M-mother? Is this really you?"

Arete gave a tear-filled smile as she nodded. "Yes," she gasped.

Azura tried to blink her tears out of her eyes as she hugged her mother tightly, ignoring the blood staining the front of her dress. "Oh, mother!" she sobbed. "I've missed you so much!"

Tears likewise appeared in her mother's eyes as she hugged her back. "I've missed you too, my little bird. I'm…so sorry for leaving you. You've suffered alone for such a long time. Could you please forgive me? I never…I never wanted to leave you, but—"

Azura wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I-I know," she said. "I know you never wanted to leave me alone, and I forgive you, but you were wrong about my suffering alone. I was never alone. I've had the royal children from both Nohr and Hoshido to keep my company. And others have joined me to help me, too. People…people like Corrin…"

"Corrin?" Arete frowned. "His name does seem familiar…"

Behind Azura, Corrin shifted uneasily. Arete's eyes snapped up towards him and reached out towards him.

"You!" she spluttered.

Corrin, surprised, knelt down next to Azura and took Arete's outstretched hand. "Yes?" he said, his voice slightly quavering.

"Treat her well, please…For her sake, you must defeat Anankos. You have to protect her. Even if all else fails, and you lay dying on the ground, promise me…promise me that you'll protect and take care of her…"

Corrin nodded his head gravely. Arete let out a sigh of relief as relaxed as her eyes unfocused, blindly wandering the sky above her. "Good…" she breathed.

She turned her sights back on Azura, who was now crying silently. "I'm so happy to see you again, Azura…I…I just wish I had more time with you. I can…feel myself slipping away…so slowly."

Azura hugged her mother even tighter. "No, wait! I just got you back! Mother, you can't leave yet! Don't go!"

Arete managed to stroke Azura's cheek one last time before her fingers and hand turned clear. "Thank you so much for being my sweet little girl…I'm so happy I saw you one last time. I love…I love you so…so much."

With these final words, Arete's eyes rolled back into her head. She let out a sigh as the rest of her body turned clear and dissolved into water. Corrin stared blankly at the water seeping between his knees as Azura broke down into another fit of sobs.

Azura blindly reached towards Corrin and he automatically wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Gunter, Takumi, Silas, Leo, Sakura, Hinoka, Camilla, Xander, Ryoma, and a few others gathered around them. Those wearing helmets or other headgear removed them and respectfully stood silently as they each bowed their heads in respect for The Seventh Queen of Valla.


	12. Chapter 12

"Corrin, are you  _positive_  that we're going the right way towards your secret entrance, right?" Azura asked as she sidled up behind him.

Corrin's eye twitched. "It's not  _my_  secret entrance. It's Anthony's," he growled as he wound his cape more tightly around his shoulders.

Azura blinked. "I see," she said coldly. "In that case, I guess I'll just head back to the end of the group then."

Corrin grimaced. "Actually—sorry, t-that was a bit harsh, wasn't it? Can you stay here? I need to talk to you."

Azura said nothing but raised an eyebrow.

" _Please?_ " Corrin added.

Azura smiled faintly. "Well, since you asked so nicely…what do you need to talk about?"

Corrin shrugged. "I mean, not much. I just noticed that you've been seeming a bit…down."

Azura looked at him. "What makes you say that?" she asked flatly.

Corrin shuffled uneasily and winced as he stepped on a particularly sharp piece of rock. "Ow—er, well, I mean, first off, I actually wanted to start off things between us by apologizing."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "What for?" she asked.

Corrin coughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, first off, I'm sorry I was yelling at you and Xander earlier."

Azura nodded wisely. "Ah, I see. Well then, in that case, I forgive you."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "W-wait, just like that? I mean, that's great! But I had this whole speech planned out a-and…" his voice died as Azura turned to look at him with her amber-gold eyes.

"Corrin, I'm not going to lie to you: what you said to me and Xander…well, honestly, they were a bit hard to hear, but after seeing my mother…" Azura's voice began to grow thick, "…pass on like that, I sort of get why you felt so angry about watching Anthony die and not having anybody volunteer to help him."

Corrin unconsciously rubbed his arm where Azura's mother had gripped him as she made him promise that he would protect Azura with his life. "About that…y-your mother, I mean," he said quietly.

Corrin looked down at his feet as they continued to walk. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry for…you know, robbing what last few moments you could've spent with your mother," he said. "I know you really wanted to see her again, and I'm really sorry that she spent half of her last few moments telling me to protect you and take care of you and—"

Azura clasped one of Corrin's hand. "No, it's fine." She squeezed his fingers with her own. "Of course I wanted to spend my mother's last few moments with her, but if she need to spend those last few moments telling you something, I understand completely. Whatever she needed to tell you, she needed to tell you, or else she wouldn't have waited until she died."

"So you're not angry at me at all?" Corrin asked.

Azura sighed and released Corrin's hand. "No, not really. A few minutes ago? Yes, probably. But now, after experiencing what you probably just experienced, I can see why you would feel so angry in the first place, and I understand what you were feeling and thinking.""

"But you're not mad at me?" Corrin asked again.

Azura rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm not mad at you anymore, alright? Now, was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

Corrin, relieved, released a pent-up breath. "No…not really. I was going to comfort you on…you know, your mother's death, but you seemed to have moved past it relatively well, somehow."

Azura shrugged. "Don't worry about me. I promise I'm fine. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm happier that I managed to spend those last few minutes with her. You have no idea what that means to me."

Corrin nodded as he pushed his way back to the front. The group walked in silence for little over an hour until Saizo, who was acting as the forward scout for them, raised his fist over his shoulder in an unmistakable gesture that meant  _stop_. Corrin repeated the gesture to the people behind him, and after a few sounds of shuffling feet and clanking armor, the whole forest fell silent once again. Corrin crept forward towards Saizo, who was crouching behind an elder tree.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"According to your map and that so-called  _boy—_ " Corrin's eye twitched, "—we're right where he said the secret entrance is. Only problem is, it looks like it's in that clearing over there."

Saizo pointed with his free hand towards a break in the trees. Corrin loosened Yato in its sheath as he crept forward silently. Saizo, Takumi, Laslow, and Kaze followed close behind him. As he brushed aside a stray branch, Corrin's jaw dropped.

Meanwhile, Laslow uttered a low whistle. "That's…a cliff."

Saizo brutally elbowed Laslow in the ribs. "Shut…up!" he growled. "There could be enemies all around us, and you choose to  _whistle?_ Are you  _trying_  to give our position away."

Laslow shot Saizo a withering glance as Kaze rested a hand on his twin's shoulder as he crept forward into the clearing.

"Kaze! What're you doing?" Saizo snapped. "Get back here! You don't know if it's safe or not!"

Kaze ignored him and continued creeping forward until he was in the middle of the clearing, whereupon he stood up, his eyes darting around, looking for any signs of danger. Corrin held his breath, waiting for the  _twang_  of a bow to sound or the scraping sound as a sword was drawn out of its sheath to sound.

To his relief, nothing happened.

"Sometimes, Saizo, you really are just too paranoid for your own good," Kaze said as he gestured towards the group, who were still hidden in the bush. The group quietly creeped out of the shrubbery and stood gaping up at the cliff.

The cliff itself consisted of a flat, gray stone and stretched nearly a mile high. Roughly three-quarters of the way up, a thick white fog had settled in, obscuring the rest of the cliff and the castle that undoubtedly rested on top of it.

"How are we going to climb… _that_?" Silas asked. "I-I mean, we have Wyverns and pegasi, but what about the horses? We can't exactly have them climb with us, right?"

"That's because we're  _not_  climbing, Silas," Azura said as she brushed past him. "Corrin, what did Anthony say about this secret passage? What do we need to look for?"

Corrin tore his gaze from the cliff and cleared his throat. "Well, according to Anthony, once we got out of the forest, he said we were supposed to arrive in some sort of clearing or whatever. He said that once we were here, we were supposed to find an 'x' scratched into the cliff face or something and press it, I think?"

Azura nodded. "As a suspected. Anthony used Castle Gyges' old sewer systems to escape didn't he?"

Camilla flinched. "Sewer system? My, you don't think there's—"

"No," Corrin said. "Whatever…muck…in there would have eroded long ago, since I'm assuming Anankos' puppets don't exactly need to use them, and I'm having a hard time imagining a dragon squeezing himself onto one of our—"

"That's besides the matter, little prince," Xander said as he and Ryoma strutted up towards them. Turning towards Corrin, the samurai said, "If this is indeed the spot Anthony spoke of, perhaps it would be prudent if everyone spread out to look for this…this 'x'?"

Corrin nodded. "Good idea. Have the men spread out. As soon as one of them finds it, call the rest of us over."

Xander shook his head. I'm sorry, Corrin, but  _you_ need to be the one giving the orders now, not me, not Ryoma. You're the leader of this army, and as such, you're the one giving commands."

Corrin pursed his lips but made his way over to small rock pile where It would be easier for him to see everyone. Everyone turned their gaze away from the cliff to look at him. Some were interested, others looked irritated at the fact they had to look at him instead of the cliff.

"Alright, spread out and find an 'x' in the cliff," he said loudly. "If you find it, tell the rest of us  _before_  you press it, alright?"

The group gave their murmurs of agreement and nodded as Corrin jumped off the pile of rocks. Xander nodded approvingly. "Not bad…not bad, little prince."

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Please, it wasn't that big of a deal, really," he said.

For nearly twenty minutes, they searched, ranging up and down the clearing as they worked their way out from their starting point. At last, Mozu gave a triumph cry and called Corrin's name.

"Let's see what you got, Mozu," he said.

The woman pointed excitedly towards two intersecting cracks in the rock. "It forms an 'x', right? I never got no schooling, so I'm guessing—"

"Yeah, that's an 'x'," Corrin confirmed. Azura and the others hurried towards them as Corrin tentatively pressed his hand against the slash marks. Nothing happened for a minute.

Corrin and the others looked around nervously. Nothing happened the second minute.

The third minute, however, the group staggered and gave cries of alarm as a single, paper-thin crack appeared at the base of the cliff. The crack ran ten, twenty feet upwards before splitting in two and arching down to either side, tracing the outline of two broad doors.

Once the outline was the complete, the group hastily staggered back as the doors swung outward on hidden hinges, scraping aside dirt and plants that had accumulated since the last time the doors were opened, revealing a stone-lined tunnel nearly twenty feet tall and half as wide. A musty, dank smell emanated from the tunnel.

The tunnel continued for a few feet before it was blocked of rusting, iron portcullis. Corrin stared at the portal, a feeling of both relief, trepidation, and apprehension growing inside of him.  _Anthony was right!_

"Look," Gunter said as he pointed at the ground. Corrin looked, and he saw a path faintly leading into the tunnel. Despite the doors scraping against the dirt, Corrin could tell that the trail had been worn into place by the passage of tramping feet. One or more people must have been using the tunnel before Anthony. What's worse was that a majority of the footsteps were leading in.

"We should proceed carefully," Gunter said.

Corrin nodded in agreement and gestured towards Leo. Leo silently took Bryhindlr out from beneath the folds of his armor and riffed through it, looking for the appropriate spell. After a few minutes, Leo pointed towards the rusting portcullis and whispered, " _Ajarios."_

At once, the rusty portcullis retracted into the ceiling, producing a horrid screeching noise as the metal rubbed against rock.

"So much for sneaking up on anyone," Elise said as the sound echoed a hundredfold as it spread throughout the tunnel.

Corrin loosened Yato in its sheath. "Let's go. The sooner we're out of those tunnels, the better."

* * *

Corrin swore and rubbed his head as he banged his head against what felt like a tree root. Behind him, Ryoma, Benny, and Xander, along with some of the taller members of the group, scuffled frantically as they tried to avoid the tree branch. Nyx rolled her eyes and scoffed as she pushed past them. The dark mage did not have to bend much in order to avoid bumping into overhanging tree roots or the ceiling, but most of the men had to hunch over like an old man with rheumatism. Elise and Sakura gave him a sympathetic look as they eagerly raised their healing staffs.

"No, no, I'm fine," he whispered as he waved them away.

For the most part, the tunnel was empty. The twenty-feet tall door that they had seen at the beginning soon narrowed and shrunk to the point that most of the men had to hunch over. Most of the women were short enough to walk upright without needing to stoop, but those with mounts were forced to dismount their animals and lead them by hand.

While most of the horses and wyverns were fine with crawling, the pegasi staunchly refused to enter the tunnel with the rest of the company. It was only when they beasts realized that their masters would enter with or without them, that the animals followed them in.

Corrin and the others walked—or in some cases, crawled— as quietly as they could. Every bump and scrape echoed, filling the air with a multitude of overlapping whispers that seemed to murmur and sigh with a soul of their own.

He looked back at the group, who were silently watching him. Already, the entrance was enshrouded in darkness. The gloom and eeriness seemed almost palpable, like a choking wet cloth draped across his mouth. Combined with the low ceilings and dank smell, it left Corrin feeling cramped and constricted. As they walked, Corrin could feel a sense of panic welling up inside of him. He had never been fond of tight spaces, least of all tunnels. What happens if the tunnel collapsed suddenly? Nobody would know what happened to them. They would all slowly shrivel away and die, like a mouse entrapped in a snake's death grip. Corrin jumped as he felt someone touch his shoulder. He spun around to see Hinoka gripping his arm.

"It's alright, Corrin. None of us are going to die down here," she whispered.

Corrin nodded as he tried to suppress his panic. If Hinoka and her Pegasus could suppress their dislike of underground places, so could he. He took a deep breath, and released it.

On and on, they went through the corridor, which ran as straight as an arrow—never turning or bending. Corrin thought he detect a slight upward slant to the floor—which would make sense if this was a sewer system—but he was not entirely confident in that guess.

After what felt like an eternity, the dirt and stone beneath their feet began to soften and stick to their boots, like wet clay. Corrin shuddered as he stepped in something slimy. Never had he welcomed the idea of wearing boots as he had right now.

Water dripped continuously from the ceiling, sometimes landing on the nape of Corrin's neck and rolling down his spine, like the touch of a frozen finger. Behind him, Hinoka's Pegasus let out an irritated snort as a water droplet fell onto her long face.

Corrin let out a small grin, glad that he wasn't the only uncomfortable in this situation. Once, he slipped on a patch of mud and, when he put his hand out for balance, found that the wall was covered in some sort of slime. Corrin shuddered and wiped his fingers on the edge of his cape. He hated treating his cape like a common handkerchief, but most metal armors typically perform poorly as a towel.

An indeterminate number of minutes passed as they continued walking forward. They might have spent an hour walking, or maybe as few as a couple of minutes. Either way, Corrin's neck and shoulders were growing tired from standing half bent over and seeing the same ten feet of gray-hued stone, and he could tell the rest of the group felt the same, judging by their sighs of relief when Keaton and Kaden sniffed the air and declared that the tunnel would open up soon.

Corrin noticed too, for his dragon-like ears also gave him a slightly more acute sense of hearing compared to a normal human. The echoes were slowly waning and ever more of a delay was appearing between each repetition of the sounds. Soon, the tunnel engorged them into a large, circular chamber with a ridged, half-dome ceiling.

Save for a few broken barrels and rotting bookshelves, the chamber was empty. Across from them, three identical archways opened up to three identical rooms, all of them small, dark, and smelling like mold. What those rooms contained, Corrin did not want to see. More eerily, a pile of bones sat in the corner. Keaton sniffed interestedly.

The group stopped, and Corrin slowly straightened his back, wincing and sighing in relief as his sore muscles stretched. Ryoma, Benny, and Xander did the same.

"This…doesn't look like a sewer system," Takumi said.

"Which tunnel should we go on?" asked Elise.

Keaton scoffed and pointed to the left-most one. "Is it really not that obvious? That one. It's always the left-most one." And the wolfskin strode purposefully toward that same arch even as he spoke.

a coughed. "Um, nope. It's that one." He pointed towards the middle archway.

"How do you know?" Keaton asked sullenly. "Everything down here smells the same to me: mold, dead stuff, and trash." He sighed contently. "It's perfect…"

Corrin pushed the wolfskin aside. "First off, that's disgusting. Second off, how  _do_  you know this is the right way?"

Before Kaden would answer, both Azura and Gunter said, "He's right," before blinking in surprise and staring at each other.

"Oh, er, pardon me, Lady Azura," Gunter stammered as he bowed and retreated.

Azura looked taken aback by Gunter's knowledge of the labyrinth but she stepped forward. "Well, the central archway seemed like the one that'll most likely take us up to the castle, right?"

Kaden nodded in agreement. "Yeah, plus, I'm hearing…a bit of wind from that tunnel."

"Wind?" Corrin asked skeptically. "Oh right, I forgot, you're a kitsune, sorry."

Kaden looked affronted but Xander stepped forward. "Either way, we'll find stairs soon enough. There can't be that many tunnels underneath Castle Gyges, right?"

Corrin shrugged and followed Kaden as the kitsune strode forward into the central archway.

The room though the central archway was larger than Corrin had first expected: the walls extended to the sides for nearly forty feet, then turned and continued for another twenty, whereupon it ended at a corridor studded with shattered and empty sconces. Further onward, there was another room lined with three arches, each of which leading to even more rooms and arches and so on.

"So much for 'There can't be that many tunnels under Castle Gyges,' right, Nohrian?" Takumi said tauntingly at Xander. Xander's eyes narrowed and clenched his fist, but beyond that, did not seem to have heard the comment.

Keaton curiously nudged a rotting two-legged stool which fell apart to reveal a pile of cobwebs. Kaden shuddered at the sight but continued onward.

The kitsune never hesitated or seemed off-put by the amount of tunnels they had to traverse. They first turned right, then right again, and then left. Corrin would have objected, except he found no better alternative.

Kaden suddenly stopped and shook his head, his ears twitching, as he sniffed around the circular room they had just entered. The room had eight equally space archways placed around the walls. Eight different corridors, including the one they just exited, stretched out from the archways.

"What's wrong, Kaden?" Setsuna asked worriedly as the kitsune swung his head from side to side.

"I've…I've lost the scent—metaphorically, of course," he said. "I can't detect the wind anymore. It's like…something just slammed shut against it."

Corrin twirled his cape—still covered in slime, though he did not care— in his fingers. "Y-you mean we're lost?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"No, we are on the right track. It's…just I don't know where to go from here," Kaden replied.

Meanwhile, Azura and Leo both simultaneously gasped.

"What is it?" Corrin asked.

"The ceiling, Corrin," Azura whispered. "The ceiling. Look at it."

Corrin followed her gaze to the blocks of ancient, mold-covered stones and was shocked at the sight. What he first thought were cracks in the stone were not cracks, but rather runes carved deeply into the stone. They were small and neat, with sharp angle, straight stems, and perfect curves.

Mold, dirt, and the passage of what seemed like centuries had eroded part of the text, but majority of it remained readable.

" _Lumos!_ " Leo said. A yellow ball of light suddenly flashed into existence, blinding Corrin.

"Ah, dammit, Leo!" he cursed. "Why couldn't you have given us a warning?"

Leo ignored him but stood on tiptoe and raised the ball of light in his hand as high as he could. Corrin blinked the spots out of his eyes and squinted at the text.

"What does it say, Azura?"

" _This"_ —the songstress cast her arms up towards the ceiling—"is a complete and unaltered history of Valla, Hoshido  _and_  Nohr. When Anankos came into power, he either destroyed or changed any texts that reflected him negatively.  _This_  is a complete history of our three countries that none of our scholars have never seen before. A true and honest history."

"You mean…the scholars from  _our_  time never found this?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded absentmindedly. "Yes…yes…the stone is several centuries years old. I'm assuming now that this whole system of tunnels was excavated from storage or some other use, but a few scholars—or stonemason with too much time eon their hands and an unprecedented knowledge of history— must have carved this here."

"If only we could stay here and read this," Nyx sighed. "But alas…we simply don't have the time. I swear…I was there at some of these events described. How good it feels to see the names of my old friends inscribed here. If only everyone could see this…"

Corrin glanced at the eight seven corridors. "Fine, then. Take a few moments to rest and catch up on history. But read quickly, we can't waste any more time. Oboro, Kagero, you two are part-time artists, right?"

Oboro tore her gaze from the runes. "Er, well, I mean, I can sew and make clothes, so I gue—"

"Alright. I want you two to see if you can memorize as much as these runes as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect, but enough so that you can create a rough draft of it later."

The two women nodded vigorously and stared at the ceiling with an even greater intensity. Corrin walked around the corridor, looking curiously into each of the tunnels. Those who weren't staring up at the runes avidly, set their weapons down and tried to rest as well as they could. Meanwhile, Xander called Laslow's name.

"You rang, milord?" Laslow asked.

"Mark where we came from, or else we'll get even more lost," Xander ordered to Laslow.

The gray haired retainer nodded gravely and turned around before blanching. "Er—milord, which one did we just come from?"

The mood shifted instantly. Azura, Nyx, and Leo reluctantly tore their gaze from the ceiling. " _What?_ " Leo asked.

Laslow shrugged, his eyes wide with panic. "I don't know, milord! I don't know which one we came from!"

Before Leo could throttle Laslow in desperation, a booming  _thud_  echoed around the chamber. Instantly, everyone was on their feet and drew their weapons. Azura gripped Corrin's shoulders. She frowned as she noticed how much he was shaking.

"Corrin, are you alright?" she asked.

Corrin swallowed nervously. "Y-yeah. It's just…underground spaces, I don't like them."

Azura felt a pang of sympathy shoot through her. Of course, Corrin hated tight spaces. He grew up in an enclosed space. He was part dragon, a creature known for their hate of claustrophobic areas and preference for open air. She rubbed his shoulder soothingly as Corrin's eyes darted around, looking for any signs of danger.

It happened so quickly, Corrin and Azura would never have noticed had they not been facing the right direction. A half-dozen doors hidden in the walls of three different corridors swung open, releasing a flood of Vallites into the chamber.

Corrin pushed Azura away as the Vallites charged toward them. Caught off-guard as they were, Corrin's group were forced to separate into two separate groups as the Vallites swung their weapons indiscriminately. Corrin, along with Lloyd, Nichol and Llewelyn, were forced apart from the rest of the group as fighting and shouts broke out. Corrin tore Yato out from its sheath and easily parried a stab, beheading the attacker in the process. Like most Vallites, the swordsmen's eyes were blank and soulless, and the mouth remained stubbornly closed, still set in a determined expression, as the head tumbled to the floor.

More Vallites continued to pour out of the room and into the chamber, and Corrin felt panic well up inside of him as he saw their numbers.  _There's too many of them…we can't stop them!_

Most of the Vallites seemed to crowd around Corrin, pushing him back into a corridor through sheer weight of numbers. Hands grabbed his legs and arms, threating to immobilize him. To his right, Llewelyn screamed in pain as he fell onto his back, his arm splashing onto the ground a second later.

"No! Brother!" Lloyd shouted as the Vallites converged on the fallen warrior, akin to vultures diving at a fresh desert carcass.

Lloyd shouted with rage and grief as he swung his axe with even greater ferocity as he moved towards Llewelyn. Before he could take more than a couple of steps towards his twin, an arrow pierced his throat, throwing him back against the wall.

Lloyd's eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed the shaft and yanked it out of his neck, halving what remained of his life as he twitched and shook on the ground. Meanwhile, Nichol stabbed frantically into the wave of Vallites converging on him.

Corrin tried to push past the berserker in front of him to reach Nichol, but before he could finish off the berserker, a flash of steel flickered in Corrin's vision, and Nichol's head dropped to the ground, an expression of surprise still on his face. The body fell a couple seconds later.

"No!" Corrin shouted.

Corrin tried to push through the wall of Vallites separating him from the rest of the group, but was forced back when he received a nasty cut to his right arm. He hissed and retreated, clutching his arm. The wall of Vallites, however, pulsed and slowly edged towards him.

"Dammit!" he swore. Corrin backed up against the wall, swinging Yato desperately.

In the distance, he could see the rest of group, including Azura being forced into one of the archways. Azura looked around wildly for Corrin, and was horrified to see him on the other side of the room clutching his arm as he desperately fought off the dozen or so Vallites converging on him.

"Corrin!" she screamed. "Corrin!"

Corrin skewered another Vallite through the ribs and looked around wildly for Azura. After a few agonizing seconds, the red eyes met gold.

"Go!" Corrin waved her away. "Go with them! I'll be fine!  _Go!"_

Azura froze in her tracks, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, Kaze had wrapped an arm around her waist and was dragging her towards the wall of shields Benny, Effie, and Xander had managed to create.

"No! Corrin!" she pummeled Kaze's arm futilely. "We have to help him!"

Despite the darkness, Kaze's face was pale. "We can't!" he gasped. "Too…many! Trust…him…"

"No! Corrin!  _Corrin!_ "

* * *

Corrin sighed in relief as he watched Kaze bore Azura away and behind the wall f shields set up by Benny and Effie. For some inexplicable reason, as soon as the ninja and songstress where hidden behind the shields, the Vallites pursuing them suddenly stopped, turned around, and advanced towards Corrin.

Corrin turned and ran through the archway closest behind him. Corrin felt a pit grow in his stomach as he realized that it was a dead end. Corrin turned and raised Yato in preparation for a final stand as he edged back towards the wall. He knew that if he got himself cornered, there would be no escape, but based on the current situation, he had no other choice but to corner himself.

As the Vallites advanced, Corrin continued to back up, picking off any Vallites who strayed too far forward. However, everything went awry when Corrin's foot slipped on a wet piece of moss and he fell backwards. Corrin groaned as his head hit the cold stone floor beneath him. Hard.

Yato slipped out of his grasp and into the sea of feet around him. He feebly tried reaching out for the legendary weapon, but was too slow: a hand managed to snatch up the golden sword

That was it. That was the final act. Corrin struggled to his feet and shakily raised his hands as a sword point pressed up against his throat.

"I surrender."

What happened next, Corrin did not know. All he remembered was a Vallite swordsman raising his sword, a whistling sound, a dull pain flashing in the back of his head, and everything going black.

* * *

Kaze groaned and collapsed onto the floor as Azura pried his arms off her body. She stood up and ran over the Xander. Like Kaze, the Nohrian's prince was white—whether from shock or fear, she did not know.

"We need to go back!" she said, desperately tried to push past Benny and Effie. To her frustration, neither of them moved aside. Xander sighed and let his shield, an ornate, yet rusted, piece of metal, fall to the ground, where a loud  _clang_  echoed around the chamber.

"I'm sorry, Azura. We can't. There was too many of them, and they managed to separate us while we were off-guard," he said, his voice still shaking.

Azura sank to her knees, devastated. She too, had seen Lloyd, Nichol, and Llewelyn fall. The only one she did not see die was Corrin, and she felt the worry eat away at her insides as she struggled not to cry.

Just how many things could happen to her in a single day? First Darius, then her mother, then watching three of their company die, and finally Corrin? How could anyone push past this…this level of punishment?"

"I can't do this anymore…" she whispered. "I…just can't."

Xander looked away, saddened. Though she could not see his face, she knew that he too was struggling not to cry. She felt someone kneel down beside her and rest a metal-covered hand on her shoulder.

"Not all hope is lost, Lady Azura," the gravelly voice of Gunter said. "First off, we know for a fact that Lord Corrin is not dead."

"How do you know?" she said caustically.

Gunter sighed. "Well, for one, his body isn't among the fallen, as far as I can see. Secondly, we just saw a group of Vallites retreating into one of those hidden doorways. They looked like they were carrying something—or someone."

Azura looked up and wiped a tear away. "'Someone'? You don't mean that they—"

Gunter nodded gravely. "Most likely. We've already sent Silas and Saizo out to retrieve and identify the bodies. Corrin's definitely not one of them."

"W-wait, already? I thought there was—"

Gunter shrugged. "I don't know, milady. As soon as you and Kaze were safe, they just…seemed to give up chasing you. Almost as if their main objective was to capture the two of you…alive."

Azura pushed herself to her feet, swaying a little bit. Gunter's hard automatically shot out to steady her. Azura gratefully accepted his help and half-walked, walk-stumbled to the chamber they had just been residing in. Already, the Vallite corpses had dissipated into water, but Azura could see, faintly, at the far end of the chamber, three bodies.

"We have to find him," she said suddenly.

Gunter blinked. "Wait, what? Who? Corrin?"

"Yes," she said. "We  _have_  to find him. He's the keystone to this whole war. We can't do this without him." Azura stared up into Gunter's gray eyes. "If we can't find him, we might as well surrender. Anankos wouldn't dare kill him, not yet at least. We can use this grace period to spread out and try and search for him."

Kaden coughed. "Yeah, about that."

The kitsune looked terrible. Despite him being at the edges of the battle, his fur was matted with blood and his coat was torn. "We can't find him, not in this…" he gestured towards the three corpses, "…mess. The only way we're going to find him is if he comes to us. We can't find a way out, and I don't know which corridor is the right one."

Ryoma limped towards them. "Seconded," the samurai said. "We can't spread out, it'll be too easy for us to get separated. Our only option is to stay here and hope Corrin finds his way back to us."

Azura nodded. "No, he won't simply find his way back to us," she said firmly. "He  _will_  find his way back to us."

Gunter coughed into his hand. "Ahem, but that still doesn't explain how he's going to find us, and how we're going to find our way out of here."

Azura snapped her fingers as an idea popped into existence in her head. "My song!" she said.

Gunter looked confused. "How...is a song going to help us here? I doubt most of us will be able to be cheered up so easily, and besides, wouldn't that attract too much att—"

"Gunter, a group of Vallites just showed up and tried to kill us!" Xander said, "I don't think we need to worry about sneaking around anymore. Ryoma's right. Azura knows a…truly remarkable song, the likes of which no one has ever heard before. Only Corrin, the rest of the royal siblings, and I are familiar with this song. I'm sure that Corrin will be able to find us if we allow Azura to sing her song."

Gunter frowned. "But…what's so special about this song?"

Xander's mouth tightened into a strained smile. "You'll see. Azura—" he turned towards the songstress, who snapped her eyes open. "—you know what you have to do."

Azura nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to remember the age-old lyrics.

" _Sing with me, a song of silence and blood…_

_The rain falls, but can't wash away the mud…_

_Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride…_

_Can no one, hear my cry?"_


	13. Chapter 13

Corrin stood between two doors: one white, one black. Corrin squinted and shielded his eyes with his forearm as a bright light emerged from behind the two portals.

" _I see you've found your way back here. So soon?"_ a voice echoed around him.

Corrin jumped at the sound and flew his hands down to his waist to grab Yato's hilt. To his surprise, his fingers brushed up against nothing except the cold steel of his armor. In front of him, the light  _condensed_ …and revealed a patch of grass with a small campfire burning brightly in the middle. Sitting on the floor behind the campfire was…

" _You_ ," Corrin said.

" _Me,"_  the hooded man agreed. " _It's been a while, hasn't, Corrin?"_

Corrin stepped backwards in shock. " _How…how do you know my name?"_  he asked.

The hooded man chuckled. " _I know lots of things, Corrin. Trust me, your name is probably one of the lesser concepts I learned during my time here."_  As if to emphasize his point, the hooded man spread his arms out and gestured to everything around him.

" _And…where…is here, exactly?"_  Corrin asked slowly. " _What is this place? Who are you? What's behind those doors?"_

The man chuckled again and raised his hand, as in a mock surrender. " _Slow down, my boy,"_  he said. " _As much as I wish I could answer all of these questions, I cannot."_

" _And why's that?"_  Corrin asked, a bit irritated.

The man looked at him, and Corrin felt a shiver run down his spine as he gazed into the shadows of the man's face. There was…a power, residing within what aged lines were visible out from beneath the hood.

" _Because, my child, if you ever live to an age as great or equal to mine, you will understand that having the knowledge about future events will often do nothing except accelerate that fate towards you,"_  the man said sternly. " _Such is the whims of the cosmic forces. If they decide that a kingdom will fall in a century, that kingdom_ will _fall by that time. Nothing the king or people can do to stop it, do you understand?"_

Corrin nodded silently.

" _Good,"_  the man breathed. " _I'm glad you understand why I can't tell you anything. To put it simply, I cannot. Not unless you have a death sentence for yourself or those around you."_

Corrin must have looked crestfallen, because the man's voice softened as he said, " _That being said, I'm feeling particularly generous today, so I guess I can answer at least one of your questions. Maybe even two, but no more than two."_

Corrin eyed the man suspiciously as he sat in front of him, on the other side of the campfire. The man smiled and spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.

" _Please, make yourself comfortable,"_ he said kindly.

Corrin stared deep into fire and absent-mindedly rubbed the soles of his bare feet. It wasn't that he wasn't used to the long, barefoot marches during the war to unite Hoshido and Nohr, it was simply that he felt…tired; the kind of tired that seeped into one's bones and gnawed at his drive and motivation.

" _Here."_ The figure procured a bowl of soup and shoved it into his hands. Corrin cautiously took the wooden bowl and sniffed it curiously. Despite the relatively acrid scent, Corrin could find nothing out of the ordinary with the broth, so he cautiously brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip.

Almost immediately, Corrin gagged, and thrust the bowl away from him. The contents of the soup splashed onto the grass, whereupon it soaked into the earth. The hooded figure chuckled.

" _I take it it's not to your liking?"_

Corrin gagged but managed to force it down. Corrin forced himself to nod, despite every part of his body screaming " _no!_ " The figure chuckled again and prodded the fire with a stick.

" _Don't worry about it. It took me a while to get used to it too. Turns out, whatever's in that soup keeps you alive pretty well."_

True to his words, Corrin felt the fatigue in his bones slowly seep out of him. After gagging for another few moments, Corrin finally managed to force down the last of the soup in is mouth.

" _You…say that like you're not human,"_  Corrin managed to say between breaths.

The figure shifted. " _Well, you're not exactly wrong, but you're not exactly right, either,"_  the figure responded.

Corrin opened his mouth but the figure interrupted him by raising a finger. " _Remember what I said about questions whose answers will do nothing except bring your end closer towards you? Any questions regarding me, my past, or this…place falls under that category."_

" _Then_ can _I ask you, then?"_  Corrin asked, irritated now. " _If I can't ask you who you are, or what this place is, then why even bother offering me the opportunity to ask you anything?"_

The figure shifted again and pointed towards the two doors. " _You could ask me about those doors. I never said you couldn't ask me anything related to them."_

" _You never said anything about that,"_  Corrin objected.

The figure looked up at him, a wry smile tugging at his lips. " _Did I not? Well then, you can ask me about those doors."_

Corrin couldn't stop himself from cracking a small smile. " _Fine then. What's behind those doors?"_ he asked.

The figure stayed silent but rose and snapped his fingers. On the doors, two pictures appeared, one on each door, and moved silently. On the black door, two swords, one of which vaguely resembling Yato, the other resembling nothing much other than a common broadsword, appeared and crossed blades with each other. As Corrin watched, the sword resembling Yato cracked and shattered into pieces. A swarm of what looked like headstones and graves emerged from where the pieces fell.

On the white door, a silhouette of a woman appeared, and raised her hands over heads, as if preparing to burst into dance. As the woman moved, long trails of hair flowed behind her, moving as easily and fluidly as water.

Corrin stared at the two images for a moment longer before turning back towards the hooded man. " _I…I don't understand,"_  he said. " _How does this answer my question?"_

The man pointed towards the black door. " _This one is fairly easy to decipher._   _I count eighty-five graves. One of those belongs to you. Twenty-two of those belongs to children. The rest belongs to the rest of those with you, in the real world. As for the white door…well, that is certainly more subjective."_

The hooded figure turned towards the aforementioned door and thoughtfully stroked his chin, deep In thought. " _Yes…I see…I see. While the black door reveals what would happen if you chose to open it, this one is…well, I'm sure it would be a lot more effective if I let_ you _see for yourself. Take a look at the white door. Look at it closely…"_

Corrin squinted his eyes and gazed intensely at the portal, his eyes darting over all of its details. " _Look at it closely,"_  the man repeated.

" _I…I don't see anything,"_ Corrin said. Suddenly, his vision shifted and his eyes widened.

Everything about the silhouette, from its ankle-long hair, to its fluid and precis movements, every reminded Corrin about…

" _Azura?"_ Corrin breathed.

" _Is that what you see?"_  the figure asked. " _Interesting._ "

The figure walked over to Corrin and placed a hand on his shoulder. " _As you may or may not have guessed already, the white door leads to…whoever this Azura woman is…and the black door…"_

" _Leads to deaths of me and all my friends, I presume,"_ Corrin finished.

The man shrugged indifferently. " _Well, I mean, all men are mortal, and all of the people that you refer to as 'friends' are mortal, which means they'll die anyways, but yes. Choosing the black door will lead to a series of rather unfortunate events that will inevitably lead to the death of your entire company."_

Corrin clenched his fists. " _I don't believe you,"_ he growled. He doesn't believe it. He  _can't_  believe it. If he accepted that fate, then he'll never be able to see Kaze again. Or Flora. Or Felicia. Or Silas. Or Azura.  _Oh gods_. Never being able to see Azura? Ever again? The mere thought of it caused Corrin to shudder.

The figure rubbed his chin. " _Honestly, it doesn't matter if you choose the white door or the black door. Like I said, all of you are going to die one day. Reality is a harsh kingdom, with laws that brutally oppress its people. It doesn't care what people want. If reality wants something to happen, its going to happen."_

The figure pauses for breath. Then, another low chuckle. " _I suppose that's one way of looking at it. But I digress. If you wish to see your friends again, I suggest you choose the white door. I don't know if it necessarily means that everything will turn out fine and dandy in the long run, but I_ do  _know that path is the only path where you and your friends will live on to see another day."_

Corrin had already taken several steps towards the aforementioned door before the figure called his name again. Corrin turned around to see the figure sitting back down behind the campfire, his back turned towards him.

" _Like I said, if you choose to go through the white door, you will be exposed to a future of pain and anguish, the likes of which you've faced before."_

Corrin couldn't help himself. He paused in front of the white door and laid a hand on the warm frame as he turned back towards the man. " _Well, in all honesty, I'm not that old anyways,"_  Corrin replied. " _If I do face such experiences, they'll probably be my first time anyways."_

The man chuckled as he prodded at the fire again. " _Well said,"_  he said. " _I've given you my take on the issue, and I've given you as much as a warning as I could. I wish I could say more, but there's always another day."_

He gestured towards the door. " _Now go. Beware the deeps, and do not walk on land where the ground grows black and brittle, and the air reeks of death and decay. Follow my advice, or do not. The path is yours to climb."_

Corrin frowned. Something about those last few words bothered him, but without further ado, he pushed the door open. As it had done before, a blinding white light emanated from behind the portal, and Corrin had to shield his eyes with his forearm as he pushed forward. Behind him, he could dimly hear the sound of the door slamming shut behind him. In front of him, the light grew brighter and brighter…

* * *

Corrin groaned and blearily opened his eyes as the stones beneath him came into focus. A dull roar seemed to echo all around him, and there was a constant throbbing in the back of his head.

Corrin reached up to touch where he felt the throbbing, and his hand came away bloodied. Corrin stared at his hand for a few seconds before shaking his head. He groaned and staggered as he pushed himself to his knees.

"Azura?"he called. "Ryoma? Xander?"

Save for the sound of his echoing voice and the flickering of the torches mounted on the wall beside him, there was no response. A sense of panic gripped Corrin, a panic of being forgotten, a panic of being stuck in this cave forever, but he forced himself to swallow it. There would be more time later for him to deal with his claustrophobia.

Corrin's hand scrabbled down his leg. To his everlasting relief, his fingers closed themselves around the familiarly warm hilt. He unsheathed the golden blade, grateful for the small amount of warm light emanating from the blade of the sword, and looked around the tunnel.

Unlike the tunnel he had been fighting in a few moments ago, this tunnel was far more elaborate, with aging mosaics and rotting weavings of some forgotten texts sprawled across the walls. A couple of iron padlocked gates stood behind him. The whole tunnel looked very much like a dungeon. Out of curiosity, Corrin limped over to one of the gates and examined it.

"Locked," he murmured as he let the padlock fall with a jarring  _crash_. Corrin instantly regretted letting the lock fall so casually against the gate, as another gate at the end of the corridor suddenly burst open, brushing aside cobwebs and years of dirt and grime.

Three Vallite soldiers burst out of the open portal, their weapons glinting menacingly in the torch light as they lowered their spears and charged towards him. Corrin adjusted his grip on Yato as he heard a few shuffling noises behind him, which told him that more Vallites had arrived. Sure enough, when Corrin spared a split second to check behind him, four more Vallites had risen out of the muddy puddles of water resting on the floor and were advancing towards him. Corrin felt the throbbing in his head worsen as he transformed his right arm into a scythe-like blade.

" _That's enough."_

Without warning, the groups of Vallites suddenly went limp and fell forward, face-first, onto the ground as they dissolved into water, their weapons clattering noisily to the ground.

Corrin blinked in surprise as he watched the puddles of water slowly spread out on the gritty floor. As he watched, the pools of water slowly congealed to form one larger puddle, whereupon a blue mist appeared. The mist swirled around and around, rising upwards. Corrin warily took a step backwards, and then another, and then another. Whatever the mist was, he didn't know what it was, and he didn't want to deal with it. Just as he tried to take another step back, the mist exploded outwards, enveloping the entire corridor.

Corrin coughed and waved his hand in front of his mouth as he peered forward into the depths, preparing himself for whatever enemy would undoubtedly appear to challenge him. Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as he saw a woman standing before him, her hands clasped in front of her stomach as if she was deep in prayer. With a sigh, the woman opened her eyes and turned around, towards Corrin. Corrin's eyes managed to widen even further as he took in the serene expression on the woman's face, the long black hair tied neatly into a ponytail, the—

"M-mikoto?" Corrin stammered. "Mother?"

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Corrin," Queen Mikoto said. "I could not have been happier."

* * *

"… _Not day nor night, wrong nor right_

_For truth and p-piece—"_

Azura's voice wavered a split second before she gasped and fell to her knees, her vision flickering and turning various shades of blue. Ryoma was instantly kneeling behind her, his hand on her back.

"Azura! Are you alright?" he asked. His voice sounded tinny and faraway.

Azura coughed, and specks of water splattered onto the ground beneath her palms.  _So soon? I've barely been singing for more than a few minutes._  She pressed a palm to her chest and slightly lifted the hem of her dress away from her skin to see the familiar blotches of purple glowing phantoms reeling across her skin.

"Azura! Are you alright?" Ryoma asked again.

Azura struggled to keep her voice level as she nodded. "I-I'm fine," she replied, her voice quavering as she tried to resist yelping in pain as the all-too-familiar agony spread throughout her body. "I'm…just feeling really tired. Do...do we have any food?"

As Ryoma and Xander rifled through their packs, Azura tried to discreetly cover a particularly large spot on her leg by covering it with her dress' hemline. As she did so, she noticed more splotches scattered on her arm, though they were much smaller. As she watched, the phantom energies faded away, leaving smooth, relatively unblemished skin.

"What was that, Azura?" Leo asked.

Azura froze mid-bite. "What was what?" she asked innocently, swallowing the piece of bread in her mouth.

"That purple splotch thing on your leg and arms a second ago. What was that?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "Nothing," she said.

Leo frowned. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I saw something—"

Azura blew a strand of hair out of her face as she knelt and looked up at Leo. "Please, Leo, I would r-really like to not talk about it."

Leo opened his mouth to object further, but after a moment's pause, decided against it. "Alright, Azura. If you really—"

"Milord, if I may interject," Gunter interrupted, "from what I've seen from Lady Azura in the time I've known her, I've noticed that she has a knack for keeping secrets from others. Of course, keeping such a secret like Valla from the rest of us was understandable, considering the curse placed on its name, but how do we know she's not keeping any more secrets from us?"

Azura frowned. "W-wait, what do you mean—"

"For all we know, Lady Azura could be a spy for the Vallites! There has been a few times where she's disappeared into the night with no explanation, only to mysteriously reappear in the morning," Gunter continued.

Xander crossed his arms sternly. "Now hold on, Gunter—"

"And that's not all!" Gunter exclaimed. "From what I've observed, and based on what she told us, only those of Vallite blood can travel to and from Valla freely. And through her own admission that was a Vallite princess, how do we know we can trust her?"

"T-that's hardly a f-fair accusation…" Sakura mumbled.

"What if she was secretly in league with this…this Anankos from the very beginning? It's perfect, isn't? Luring the crown princes and royal family from both Hoshido and Nohr together, only for your hermaster to destroy us all! Again, how do we know we can trust her?"

"That's enough, Gunter!" Xander shouted. "I don't know where you got this idea from, and I  _highly_  doubt that Azura's actively working with Anankos. For one thing, unless Azura is secretly trained in the art of espionage—no offense, Azura—"

"None taken," she said flatly.

"—I doubt she's able to unite both Hoshido and Nohr—"

"Corrin did most of that," she mumbled.

"—and win over Corrin!" Xander shouted. "If Corrin trusts her, so shall I."

Xander glared at Gunter. "I understand that, as a retainer of Nohr, you've sworn fealty to Corrin, and that you are honor-bound to defend and support him as if he was your own son, but your loyalties also extend to that of your country and crown. By accusing Azura of being a traitor, you are directly accusing a member of both the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal family a traitor to her countries!"

Gunter looked like some mad doctor had scooped out the inside of her cheeks as he pursed his lips and bowed deeply, first towards Xander, then towards Azura.

"My apologies, milord," he said. "Please, forgive an old man for being to paranoid about matters regarding his liege. I see that my blind loyalty to Lord Corrin has also blinded me to the presence and trustworthiness of his other…acquaintances. Namely you, milady." He nodded towards Azura.

"I-it's all right," Azura said, clenching the hem of her dress as another wave of pain wracked through her body. It was all she could do to not crumple to her knees and cry. "I-I can see why you would think that, and I understand t-that you're loyal to none other than Corrin."

"Wait, hold on a second," Ryoma interjected.

Azura ignored him and continued to stare at Gunter, who was still kneeling on the floor before her. "I know you want to protect Corrin, and he feels the same way. He's told me multiple times about how you've been like a father to him, and it's only natural that you want to protect him."

At those words, Gunter drew a long, rattling breath, and looked up at Azura, his eyes suspiciously brighter than usual in the gloomy tunnel. "He…he really feels that way?"

Azura nodded, though she kept her face impassive. Another wave of pain, less severe, passed through her. She clenched her hands tighter around the hem of her dress.

"Yes," she replied. "I know you want to protect him, but if you're too concerned about his safety…well, there was a reason why Garon had him locked up in the Northern Fortress for so long, twisted as it may be."

Gunter nodded and stood up. He bowed again and twisted his hand over his breast in some sort of salute. "I understand, milady. I'm sorry. I was wrong to accuse you in such a way, and I beg for both yours, and Lord Xander's forgiveness."

"No need," the Nohrian prince replied, though his face remained grim as he looked around the tunnel, his eyes bright and alert. "Everything I wanted to say to you, Azura just did, so there's no need for you to hear them twice. I only hope that you remember the oaths you've sworn to the Nohrian throne."

"Hold on a second," Ryoma repeated. "You're as much as one of my siblings as the rest of my family, Azura, but…but did anything Gunter say about you, about you sneaking off into Valla…is any of it true?"

Azura frowned. "…No…what makes you ask? I thought I made it clear that I have no intentions of ever helping or working for Anankos willingly."

Ryoma absentlymindedly undid the straps holding the armor on his right forearm and redid them. For the brief second that his skin was visible, Azura could see a long, thin scar, wrapping itself around the entirety of Ryoma's wrist. Azura knew instantly what he was talking about.

"I mean, besides caution, I remember one day, in the astral plane, I believe it was a couple days after my hand was…reattached, I decided to take a nighttime stroll and you so happened to be out that night too," Ryoma said. Where were you going that night?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "Er, well, I mean, I  _have_  crossed into Valla once or twice during the preparations for this invasion, but I swear, I—"

Azura knew instantly that she had made a mistake. Saizo sidled up behind Ryoma and surreptitiously slid a curved iron dagger out from under a patch of armor.

"Wait, so you  _do_  admit that you've been sneaking off to Valla?" Saizo hissed.

Azura pursed her lips. "W-wait, no, you didn't let me finish—"

"But you  _have_  gone into Valla, without telling anyone?" the ninja repeated.

Azura stammered for a response, but no words passed her lips. Ryoma shook his head disappointingly. "Azura, don't lie to us. We're your family, but having you lie about where you sneak off to in the middle of the night isn't going to make us believe you more. Tell us the truth, did you ever sneak off to Valla?"

Azura took a step backwards voluntarily and froze when she felt her back press up against Kagero, who firmly clamped her hands around Azura's arm. Azura looked down at her arms for a second and tried to wrestle them free.

"Let go of me! Let go!"

Xander frowned. "Lord Ryoma, perhaps this isn't the best—"

Ryoma interrupted him with a raise of his. "You're right, Xander," he sighed. "It's been…quite the day, and all of our nerves are frayed." He turned towards Kagero.

"Let her go."

Kagero reluctantly released Azura's arm before retreating durifully behind Ryoma, her arms at her back and her face nothing more than a stone mask. On the other hand, Saizo scowled towards her, the scar on his blinded eye flexing as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry, Azura," Ryoma apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, but I'm just feeling a little… _predisposed_  towards anything that has to do with Valla, especially after Scarlet. I feel that any accusations of a traitor, no matter how small, should be taken into consideration. That being said, I find it hard to believe that you would be the one to betray us, Azura, but that doesn't mean there's nobody here that wouldn't betray us."

Azura sighed. "It's fine, honestly," she said. "Trust me, I'm used to these sorts of accusations."

Ryoma nodded. "It's…just, you know…after what happened to Scarlet, we can never be too careful. We already lost one friend this week. I couldn't bear it if we were to lose another."

"Well, that's war for you, Lord Ryoma," Leo said grimly. "Not everyone makes it back, but everyone's willing to put their lives on the line for their beliefs."

"That's where all of you are wrong!" a voice echoed around them.

As one, everyone drew their weapons and turned around. At the far end of the tunnel, shrouded in darkness, stood a lone figure. Ryoma and Xander both simultaneously drew their blades as Takumi conjured an arrow and aimed it at the figure. Leo opened Bryhildr and flipped to a specific page, where upon he started chanting words in a voice too deep and convoluted for Azura to understand.

As the figure stepped forward into the torchlight, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura gasped. Ryoma, however, simply frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together as he raised Rajinto in a defensive position.

"You!" Ryoma shouted, his voice filled with fury.

Though it was difficult to see the figure's face in the gloom, Azura could just barely make out a flash of teeth as the figure grinned. The figure was easily taller than her, and possibly even larger than Ryoma. There was something about the figure, the way he confidently strode towards her, that bothered her.

"Me," the figure agreed. It was then that Azura recognized him.

"You were there!" she blurted out. Xander and Lao looked at her in confusion. She ignored them and continued to train her gaze on the figure striding towards him.

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked. "How do you know him?"

"He was there, on the day Corrin transformed into a dragon for the first time," Azura explained. "He was the one who killed Queen Mikoto and sparked the war between Hoshido and Nohr!"

"I'm also the one responsible for destroying Cyrkensia," the figure added. "My master was hoping that by destroying the city, it would spur Hoshido and Nohr into further fighting. I see now that there were…a few loose ends I should've taken of beforehand." At those words, the hooded figure stared pointedly towards Azura.

"My master was…rather displeased with my failure, and so I was punished…severely. But make no mistake!" The figure silently drew a familiar-looking scabbard from within the folds of his robes. "Lord Anankos has given me the position of dealing with your pitiful group of soldiers that you call an army, with the condition that I will only face you in honest combat once Arete has fallen!"

Xander's eyes narrowed. "Is that so…" he murmured. Raising Siegfried, he twirled it around him and pointed it directly at the figure, dark waves of energy rippling down the course of the blade.

"If that's the case, the enemy of my ally is therefore my enemy as well!" he shouted. "You'll pay for the destruction of Cyrkensia. Do you know how many innocent people died in your attack? Face the crown prince of both Hoshido and Nohr, see how that tastes for an 'honest fight!'"

The figure chuckled and drew his katana out of its sheath. The crinkle on Xander's forehead deepened as Ryoma adjusted his grip on Rajinto's hilt, his palms slippery from sweat. Dark, purple electricity crackled down the length of the figure's katana as he, in one fluid motion, tore the cloak covering himself off his body, revealing—

"Father?" Ryoma blurted. Xander threw a look of disbelief in his direction, but slowly lowered Siegfried to the ground in shock as he took in the sight of the former Hoshidan King standing before them.

Behind Azura, Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura all gasped, or in the case of Takumi, accidentally released his arrow so that it cascaded past the swordmaster's face, the emerald light revealing purple eyes in place of natural brown.

Sumeragi threw back his head and laughed. "Do you know how amazing this feels? Not only have I been given the opportunity to fight my own children, but also the son of the man who struck me down so dishonestly! My only wish was that I could fight Corrin, but I'm afraid Mikoto has already claimed him for her own."

Azura's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on her naginta. "Corrin's…still alive?"

Sumeragi cocked an eyebrow. "I see he's not with you. No matter! His strength was insignificant compared to the might of the rest of his siblings."

"You take that back!" Hinoka growled. "Corrin's the strongest one out of all of us!"

"Yeah!" Elise jeered. "You're probably happy to not see him here because you know he's going to be the one to kick your a—"

Sumeragi ignored the Nohrian princess and turned towards Ryoma. "Well done, Ryoma. My eldest son. You've been everything I had hoped you would be." He gestured grandly to Ryoma. "Look at how strong you've become! Look at how strong you must've been to fight your way here, past Arete, past Mikoto's vanguard, only to face me in combat! This shall be a glorious battle!"

Ryoma sneered as he raised Raijinto into a defensive position. "I don't care how many compliments you lavish on me. I don't care If you think I'm your son, because  _you're_  not my father. My father…was a respectable man. A just king. A peerless samurai. You are just a pale imitation of him! You, fueled by your lust for battle, your lust for glory, your hatred of Nohr, are  _not that man_."

Sumeragi sneered. "If your father is dead, how is it he's standing before you? If your father was dead, how is it that I possess Rajinto?"

Ryoma's eyes flicked downward for a split second to notice his opponent's weapon. Sure enough, it was Raijinto, but unlike the  _real_  Raijinto, there was…something a bit off. Purple where the gold should've been, black where the white should've been. Unlike Raijinto's trademark blue lightning,  _this_  Raijinto's was purple.

Ryoma felt an odd twisting sensation in his gut as he realized that the purple of the electricity crackling across it was the very same color of the fell orbs that danced within his father's cold, dead eyes.

Ryoma did not reply but raised Raijinto high over his head, his eyes closing in concentration as he willed the power within him to pour into the blade. Sumeragi did the same.

"Azura!" he called.

Azura flinched, her eyes darting between Sumeragi and Ryoma. "Yes?" she asked.

"When we start fighting, lead the others away. Finish this without me."

" _What?_ " Takumi blurted. "You must be mad!"

"Milord," Saizo said urgently. "Please, allow us to deal with this craven. You needn't risk your life like this!"

"Enough, Saizo" Ryoma said gently. He calmly opened his eyes. "This is the art of Hoshidan warfare. By directly confronting me and challenging me to a duel, I am honor bound by the most ancient of Hoshidan traditions to accept the duel. If I do not accept, I will bring nothing but shame onto the Hoshidan royal family. My real father would have never refused this offer, not because he was eager for battle, but because he would understand the shame it would bring him if he were to decline."

Saizo made a choked sound in the back of his throat as Kagero pulled out a curved iron dagger out from some flaps of clothing. "With all due respect, milord, I'm afraid that nothing will change our mind on this. If you punish us later for this disobedience…"

"Well, at least you'll be able to punish us," Saizo finished.

Ryoma nodded gravely. "Very well then." He turned towards Sumeragi, who was watching the three of them with interest. "Do you accept these new…parameters? Will you allow my retainers to fight alongside with me?"

Azura stepped forward, shocked. "Ryoma, no!" she exclaimed. "We  _need_  you. You can't just throw your life away like this!"

To her surprise, instead of Takumi or Hinoka grabbing her arm and pulling her back, it was instead Xander and Leo. She wrestled with them for a moment. "What are you—"

"You can't, Azura," Leo said simply, stony-faced. "It's not our place to interfere."

"You can't just say that!" she bit back. "Ryoma's your brother as much as he's Corrin!"

Xander sighed unhappily. "I know, Azura, and trust me, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you, but we can't interfere. We just can't."

"Why not?" she asked.

Leo and Xander shook their head. "Its…complicated," Xander said slowly. "Nohrians hate everything about Hoshido, save for one thing: duels. Hoshidan duels are one of the few things almost all Nohrians will respect, if not out of respect, perhaps out of fear."

Sumeragi laughed a deep belly laugh. "Right you are, Nohrian prince! Hoshidan duels are an ancient and primal part of our history, and we  _don't_  take insults during such duels lightly."

Sumeragi tapped his chin thoughtfully as he turned towards Ryoma. "As for allowing you to fight with your retainers, fine!" he said after a moment's deliberation. "But only if you allow  _my_  retainers to fight with me!"

Ryoma frowned. "What retainers?" he asked.

Sumeragi said nothing but made an odd, rising gesture with his free hand. Behind him, two dark patches of water appeared, and two people, a man and a woman, rose out from them. The man was dressed in traditional kendo armor, and save for his blank purple eyes, nothing could be seen of his face. The woman was clothed in flowing green kimono robes, of which Ryoma was sure contained several, if not dozens, of knives, poisons, and other nefarious weapons.

"This…" Sumeragi gestured towards the man, "is Shitsuji, and this—" he gestured towards the woman, "is Otome. Oteme used to take care of you, Ryoma, didn't you know? Since Shitsuji served as my enforcer and right-hand man, you will find yourself hard pressed to find another swordsman as dedicated and talented as him in the ranks of Lord Anankos' army."

The samurai silently nodded at the compliment. "Oteme, on the other hand," Sumeragi continued, "used to serve as my spymaster. She is a master of deception and espionage, and I'm afraid she will be the worst of everone's problems—save for me, of course."

Ryoma nodded. "Very well then!" he proclaimed. "Let us fight!"

And with those words, Saizo and Kagero rushed forwards, as did Oteme and Shitsuji. Ryoma and Sumeragi both crouched down, and in a motion too fast for any other besides themselves to see, they withdrew their weapons from their sheaths and rushed towards each other in a blur of red, gold, purple and white.

A hoarse shout emanated from both Ryoma's and Sumeragi's throats as they charged towards each other, electricity wracking and crackling all around them. With a deafening  _clash_ , their swords crashed into each other, driblets of liquid electricity dripping slowly onto the ground, where they sizzled and sparked.

* * *

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Corrin. I could not have been happier."

"You've already said that" Corrin said coldly. "If you think some cheap trick is going to fool me, you're sorely mistaken."

"Oh? And why's that?" Mikoto asked.

Corrin blinked in surprise. "I—you don't know?" he spluttered. "Azura told me all about how Anankos has a nasty habit of sending out servants who bear a passing resemblance to those close to them."

"Oh, I see…" Mikoto said, saddened. She took a step closer to Corrin. "But do you really not believe that it's me? Your mother? Even if I am a puppet of Anankos, my spirit, at the very least, remains my own."

Corrin stepped back and flicked Yato upwards to her throat. "Back off!" he growled. "I won't be fooled by you! You're not my mother—you're just some soulless puppet!"

Mikoto's eyes grew suspiciously bright as she took another step towards him, her arms spread wide. "Please, Corrin, don't say such things. You have no idea how much I've missed you. I never wanted to leave you alone when I died, but I had no choice. Please—"

Mikoto's hair was blown out of her face as Corrin transformed one of his arms into a spear-like lance and thrust it at her. Right before fang met skin, the tip of the lance stopped less than a centimeter away from Mikoto's nose. Her eyes went cross-eyed as she stared at the tip, sharper than any sword in the world, trembling ever so slightly. She staggered backwards, her hand pressed to her chest as she tried to comprehend what happened.

"You…you didn't block my attack?" Corrin asked, staring blankly at her, his voice slightly echoing as a result of the draconic head resting on top of his shoulders. "Why didn't you? You were supposed to!"

Mikoto gently pushed the tip of Corrin's lance-arm away from her face with a single finger. "Because," she said. "Even if you don't believe anything I say—even if you don't believe me—I will always believe in you, Corrin."

A flash of light briefly illuminated the corridor as Corrin's normal head reappeared on top of his neck, the red eyes full of confusion and looking uncharacteristically puzzled. "B-but that's impossible!" he spluttered. "There's no way—are you  _truly_  my mother?"

Mikoto nodded sadly. "I am," she said simply.

"But you're under Anankos' control!" Corrin objected.

"Like I said, Corrin, even though the only reason I am allowed to live and talk to you again is because Anankos is using me as a puppet, my spirit remains my own, at least," Mikoto patiently explained.

Corrin slowly transformed his arm back into his normal form. "I…believe you," he said slowly, after a moment's hesitation. "But don't think that you'll be able to stab me in the back," he added on. "I've been betrayed too many times these past few months."

"I understand," Mikoto said simply. She beckoned towards him with a single finger.

"Corrin, there is something I must tell you," she whispered.

Corrin did not move but slightly pricked his ears up. Mikoto said and raised her hands to show that they were empty, the universal sign for "Look, I'm not carrying a blatantly obvious weapon."

Corrin cautiously sidled over to her, his hand resting on Yato's pommel. "Yes?" he asked.

Mikoto pointed down the corridor. "Right now, Azura and Ryoma are fighting Sumeragi, your father. Sumeragi planned to pull you away from the rest of your group so that I could kill you. Obviously, I'm not planning on doing that, but all it means for you is that the rest of your party is in grave danger. Sumeragi has…changed since I've last seen him. The  _real_  him, not the puppet Anankos is currently forcing to duel with Ryoma. Sumeragi's pride and hunger for glory will force him to challenge Ryoma to an honorable duel. Should he somehow manage to best him, Sumeragi will undoubtedly turn his attention on the rest of your party."

"Well, I can't just let that happen!" Corrin objected. "I have to find my way back to them! Where do I go?"

Mikoto smiled. "I knew you would say that, but first, there are a few things you have to understand first. Hoshidan duels are…rather…stubborn, at times. Even Nohrians knew better to interrupt a duel between two Hoshidan samurai, but since you have no choice  _but_  to interrupt Ryoma and Sumeragi, expect a bit of backlash from your father. While by no means is Ryoma is the inferior of the two, but Sumeragi's force on the battlefield when angered is not to be underestimated. You'll have to simultaneously help Ryoma finish Sumeragi while also making sure Ryoma and Sumeragi don't…push you away, for lack of a better term."

Corrin snorted. "Sounds easy enough."

Mikoto shook her head gravely. "Oh no," she murmured. "I know you spent most of your childhood in Nohr, and I don't blame you for that, but like I said, Hoshidan duels are an ancient art that Nohrians are loathe to disrespect. Whether it's because it eliminates another Hoshidan warrior, or simply because they truly appreciate the dedication and determination behind it, I do not know. All I know is that Prince Xander, Prince Leo, and the rest of your party with Nohrian blood will be reluctant to help you so easily."

"Alright then," Corrin nodded. "I understand. Where do I go to find them?"

"One last thing," Mikoto murmured sharply. "The catacombs beneath Castle Gyges can span for dozens of miles, if not hundreds. If I'm correct, you and your party are actually not that far away from the entrance leading up to the castle, but there is a set of doors in a dungeon that you'll have to pass through."

"Is there anything I need to be careful of?" Corrin asked.

Mikoto nodded. "Yes, well, since I never planned on killing you or your friends off, I still needed to make a… _convincing_  trap. Those doors are lined with several traps, including spikes, poison spikes, spikes that come out of the ceilings, stone statues that can crush anyone unfortunate to walk underneath them, and many, many others."

"All this? For us?" Corrin asked skeptically.

Mikoto shrugged. "Well, I had to make it look convincing, didn't I? Either way, each set of doors will feature two different doors, one blue, one red. The blue one will lead into another dungeon with two doors, also red and blue. If you go into  _that_  room's blue door, it'll take you to another room with another pair of doors, also red and blue. If you take  _that_  room's blue door, it should lead you into the castle, where you'll meet Anankos last, most trusted servant."

"What about the red doors?" Corrin asked.

"Oh, those doors contain the things I just mentioned. Spikes…poison spikes…animated statues…those sorts of things."

"…Right…" Corrin said skeptically. "And so we're only supposed to choose the blue doors."

Mikoto nodded. "Yes, precisely."

"Wait, then what about this 'last, most trusted servant?' Who is it? Can you help us?"

Mikoto shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know who it is. I've only met him once, and even then, I could find nothing of him. Apparently,  _this_  servant's mission was far more dangerous than the rest, since they were responsible for infiltrating your group and provide Anankos with a constant stream of information."

"So you mean is…that Anankos planted a spy somewhere in my army?"

"Not just in your army, but in  _your_  personal elite guard. Who, I cannot say, but all I can say is that you'll need to be careful about who you trust from now on. You're nearing the end of your journey, I can feel it, which means this spy can feel it too. They'll most likely try to spring the trap soon."

Corrin frowned. "I can't just go around and accuse everyone of being a spy!" he objected. "I  _trust_  each and everyone of them—I can't randomly walk up and call them out like that!"

"Nor did I believe such a simple method would work," Mikoto said. "No, this spy has been in your group much longer than the others. They'll most likely be able to avoid any accusatory claims you send their way."

Corrin opened his mouth to object, but the earth around them suddenly shook, as if a great weight had dropped onto the ground. Mikoto and Corrin nervously looked up. Save for a few clouds of dust drifting down form the ceiling, nothing seemed to collapse. In the distance, Corrin could faintly hear the sounds of clanging metal, shouting, and singing.

Corrin's ears pricked up. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

When Mikoto did not answer, Corrin turned around. To his shock, Mikoto was fading away. She looked down at her hands before looking back up to Corrin. She grasped him by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug.

"M-mother?"

"Please, don't forget what I said," she whispered into his ear. "Open only the blue doors, and defeat Anankos for me, if nothing else. Perhaps, one day, we could be together again."

Just as she finished speaking, Mikoto faded away completely, leaving nothing but a single hair ornament, shaped like a butterfly. Corrin looked at it in his hand for a second before that too faded away. He clenched his hands over the empty air as he looked up, the edges of his vision burning with anger and sorrow.

"Don't worry…mother. I will. I promise."


	14. Chapter 14

"Ryoma!" Sakura screamed as a red blur flew through the air.

All of the breath in Ryoma's body left him in one  _whuff_  as his back slammed into the stone wall. For a moment, he thought his spine was broken, but when his back screamed in agony when he clambered out of the crater, he knew his punishment was far from over.

"Is that all you've got, son?" Sumeragi shouted mockingly from across the room. "I've met children who've put up a better fight!"

Ryoma scowled as he planted the tip of Raijinto beside him. Using the weapon, he pushed himself to his feet. He spared a moment to shoot a glare at his opponent striding towards him. Sumeragi ran his fingers along the length of his katana menacingly as he slowly strode towards him. Behind him, partially covered in debris and shadows, Saizo and Kagero lay unconscious, puddles of water that had once been Sumeragi's retainers spreading out beneath them. Saizo had been incapacitated by a poison needle full of some unholy poison thrown by that devil woman, but not before burying a dagger in Shitsuji's eye. Kagero also managed to put down Otome , but was knocked out of the fight altogether by the same shockwave that had thrown Ryoma across the room.

Throughout the fight, Ryoma was dimly aware of the sound of Azura's voice singing, urging him on. He wasn't sure what magic was in her songs, but for some reason, he felt… _invigorated._

"Who…would…be so petty as to pick a fight with a child?" Ryoma retorted, panting.

Sumeragi shook his head, a grin on his face, "So you  _do_  have some fight in you. I like it!"

With a deafening yell, he leapt straight up into the air and hurled towards Ryoma, his sword a purple blur in the air as it soared towards him. Ryoma's eyes widened a split second before he threw himself out of the way. Sumeragi crashed into the place where Ryoma had occupied split second before as he picked himself out of the debris.

He flicked a scrap of rubble off his shoulders as he glared at Ryoma. Ryoma narrowed his eyes as he edged around him. Sumeragi did the same, his katana hanging loosely as his side while Ryoma kept Raijinto rigid in front of him, blue electricity crackling down the length of the weapon.

The fight was going poorly, that much was obvious. They've barely been fighting for more than a few minutes, and already, Saizo and Kagero were out. Despite Azura's song rejuvenating him, Ryoma could start to feel the all-too-familiar weariness in his bones. If he didn't end the duel soon, he would never be the one to end it.

That wasn't to say that he's been entirely unsuccessful so far, however. In the course of the duel, Ryoma managed to catch Sumeragi on the wrist after a failed attack and managed to slice all the way through the cuff of his kote and a layer of muscle to the bone beneath. While he failed to sever any important muscles, the wound seemed to cause Sumeragi a great deal of pain, plus the times that blood seeped into his kote and his hand spasming as a result of the severed muscles caused him to throw off a few attacks that would have ordinarily ended the duel right then and there.

Ryoma took a nick to his right calf, a result of him overextending, and then—when Sumeragi was still recovering from that same attack—Ryoma raised his other foot and stomped down as hard as he could on Sumeragi's foot. Sumeragi howled in pain and jumped back on one foot. Ryoma manage to catch him again on his wrist, but this time failed to deal any real damage as Raijinto skittered off Sumeragi's greaves.

Ryoma followed, brutally swinging Raijinto towards Sumeragi in an attempt to batter him into the ground, but despite his bruised foot and hand injury, Sumeragi was able to defend himself with a reverse overhand grip, and soon, Ryoma found that he was the one who was hard-pressed to remain on his feet.

For a time, their armor somehow managed to resist the relentless pounding. Soon afterwards, however, Sumeragi managed to shatter Ryoma's dō and part of his right sode with a particularly heavy blow. Sumeragi blinked, surprised at the shards of armor flying past his face.

Ryoma used Sumeragi's hesitation to punish him with three powerful slashes with Raijinto. Sumeragi's eyes widened in shock as he fell backwards, blood and pieces of armor spurting outwards from his chest. He managed to catch himself with one hand as he collapsed to his knee, his breath raspy as he gasped for breath.

Ryoma rose and strode towards Sumeragi, who was still panting on the ground before him. He rose Raijinto in preparation of the death blow.

"Please…please don't," came the strangled rasp.

"Ryoma! Don't!" Hinoka shouted, her voice cracking. "We just got him back!"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "He's one of  _them_!" he shouted back. "He tried to kill us! He tried to kill me! He tried to kill Corrin!"

"But he's our  _father_!" Takumi shouted. "You can't just  _kill_  him off like that! Give him a chance!"

"I can and I must!," Ryoma retorted. He turned towards Azura, Sakura, Hinoka, and Takumi. Sakura had their hands over their mouths, her eyes brimming with tears. Whether it was shock or horror, he was not sure. Takumi had his fists clenched while Hinoka stepped forward, her naginata in her hands. Azura looked on at the spectacle sadly, her golden eyes bright in the gloom.

"He's a threat to all of us," Ryoma explained. "We can't allow him to escape and report back to Anankos. Plus, he was probably the one who ki—"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoma just barely managed to catch Sumeragi's teeth gleaming as he gave him a sadistic grin and slashed towards him with his sword, which he somehow managed to reclaim without anyone noticing. Ryoma tried to block the attack, but was too slow. Takumi watched with horror, his eyes wide in shock, as Sumeragi's blade sank into Ryoma's midriff. Sakura and Hinoka screamed Ryoma's name and covered their eyes. Azura reached towards him.

Ryoma felt a cold pain as the serrated metal pierced his chest. His breath came hard. Ryoma knew instantly that the wound would be fatal, judging by the gouts of blood that were matting Sumeragi's bare chest. His blood.

Ryoma tried to get back up, to make one last final stand, but Sumeragi walked over to him and kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Ryoma coughed, and the action felt like it was splitting himself in half. That was a rib gone, maybe two. He tried to get up again, and flailed Raijinto weakly towards the general direction of Sumeragi, but Sumeragi deftly kicked the blade out of his hands and stomped on his face, breaking his nose.

"You were never worthy to fight me,  _son_ ," Sumeragi said, spitting out the last word as if it was the worst insult he could think of. "You stride in here, so  _nobly,_  and you kill  _my_  retainers. What makes you think that you're worthy to sit on Hoshido's throne? Otome used to take  _care_  of you! Shitsuji was the one who taught you how to properly care for your sword! How  _dare_  you strike them down with such disrespect, ordering  _ninjas—_ warriors known for dishonesty, values  _against_  Hoshidan values—to kill them? As if they were nothing more than mere peasants before you?"

He could faintly hear his siblings screaming his name in the distance. He could barely make out blurs in his vision that were undoubtedly Xander, Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura and Leo charging towards Sumeragi. Sumeragi laughed maniacally and turned around as Ryoma heard screams and weapons clashing together echoing around the chamber.

He'd failed.  _They_ failed. Ryoma spent what last few moments of consciousness to utter a silent apology to Sakura. To Hinoka. To Takumi and Azura. To Xander, Leo, Elise, Saizo, Kagero, and all the rest of Hoshido and Nohr. And finally, to Corrin.

_I'm…so sorry…_

And then time and memory ceased for him.

* * *

Corrin panted as he sprinted down the tunnel, towards the sound of Azura's singing and the clashing of metal against metal. He had been running towards the sound of Azura's voice for more than at a full sprint for more than three minute now, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. During his mad dash towards Azura's voice, he managed to somehow transformed into his draconic form, his metallic wings scraping against the sides of the corridor as he ran.

Irritated, Corrin willed them to become smaller. He'd never done something like that before, so he snorted in surprise as his vision suddenly jutted closer to the ground. Sniffing the ground beneath his hooves, Corrin confirmed his suspicions. He wasn't just closer to the ground, he was closer to the ground because he was  _smaller_  than usual.

He had just entered a large room with a ridged, half-dome ceiling over fifteen feet high at its apex when the singing and sounds of fighting stopped. Save for a few rotting bookshelves, barrels, and stools, the room smelled empty. In front and beside him, Corrin sensed four near-identical archways. He skidded to a stop, snorting, his hooves clapping against the stone floor underneath him as he turned around, confused.

He looked around, his tail casually destroying a nearby bookshelf as he pawed the ground. Frustration and rage built up instead him. He was  _so_  close. Why couldn't have Azura kept singing for a couple seconds longer? Was it really that hard?

Corrin shook his head as his human side urged him to calm down and to let him control his body. Reluctantly, Corrin let him. In a flash of light and smoke, Corrin found himself kneeling back on the ground, his bare feet slightly sore from running so far for so long. He blinked a couple of times until his vision readjusted to the darkness of the tunnel.

He walked over to the nearest archway and placed his hand on it as he tried to catch his breath. Besides the fact that he felt like he was dying inside from such a strenuous exercise, Corrin couldn't shake the  _nervousness_  of his situation, being trapped underground.

Corrin wasn't afraid of a lot of things. He's faced monsters, fought his own brothers and sisters to the death before, and faced death in the face more times than he cared to count, and yet it was the thought being trapped  _underground_ , for gods' sakes, that scared him the most and threatened to make his knees crumple beneath him.

Corrin pressed a hand to his chest as he felt himself start to hyperventilate. In the back of his mind, Corrin could feel his draconic counterpart scoff—or rather, what passed as scoffing in dragon.

 _It's alright,_  he told himself.  _I've killed Faceless before. I've seen my own siblings almost die before. I've been nearly cut in half once or twice. Surely, I can handle a little panic attack, right? Right?_

Corrin stumbled and swore as the entire earth around him shook, as if a great weight had struck the ground, showering him with debris. In the distance, a bright light suddenly manifested out of the darkness and sped closer to him. As the light grew closer, Corrin could see that the light was actually one, large,  _menacing_  orb full of orange eyes spiraling wildly in the darkness as it sped towards him. As the… _thing_  approached, all of the eyes suddenly swiveled and focused in one Corrin, coating him in a bright orange light. Corrin cautiously unsheathed Yato and held it defensively in front of him as he watched the orb flit towards him.

" _I AM…THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON,_ " a voice boomed in the darkness.

Corrin's eyes widened as he stepped back into the archway. "No way…" he murmured. "It can't be!"

" _THE BETRAYED KING, THE ENTOMBED GOD. IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"_ the voice continued.

The orb shot towards Corrin, barely skimming past his arm. Corrin instantly dropped Yato and clutched at his arm as he felt a  _burning_ and hissing sensation where the face had skimmed. Whatever self-restraint Corrin had left in him flexed and shattered as he turned and snatched up Yato before running away, his arms over his head as pieces of debris and rubble continued to pummel him. Normally, he would stand his ground and fight, but  _normally_ , he wouldn't be stuck in an underground tunnel with the very earth trying to bury him alive and a demonic light chasing after him.

Corrin stumbled backwards and swore again, a bit more colorfully this time, as he ran headfirst into a wall. Rubbing his bruised shoulder, Corrin stepped back and looked around him.

Behind him, a pile of debris had fallen, blocking his path back into the chamber of archways, and thankfully, blocking the orb from reaching him. Corrin felt his sense of panic return as he watched one of the rocks tumble loose from the pile, revealing one blood-red orange eye peeking in between through the cracks. Corrin swore even more colorfully this time and instinctively transformed into his draconic form again as he rammed the wall in front of him with all his might.

To his surprise, the rock wall crumpled, sending him stumbling ungracefully into an even larger, better lit, and thankfully, a more spacious chamber where it looked like a crowd was gathered around a couple of swordsmen fighting each other. One of the swordsmen was laying prone to his left, a blue light pulsing weakly within the silhouette of his body.

Corrin, the crowd, and the fighters all froze as they looked at each other. For a moment, nobody moved, unsure of how to react. Corrin prowled around the chamber, his tail twitching nervously as he looked down at the swordsman in front of him. The figure took a step back shakily and twirled his sword.

With a slightly muffled-sounding yell, the figure brought his weapon down in a powerful overhead slash with a single hand onto one of Corrin's claws. Corrin reared and roared in pain as he felt the metallic skin breaching apart, exposing muscle and sinew into the dusty air. Corrin's tail instinctively lashed out from behind him and slapped the figure in the chest, throwing him across the room and into the wall, whereupon he fell limply to the floor.

In the corner of his eye, the prone figure suddenly twitched and spasm. Corrin's head snapped around to see two more figures—a female and male, judging by their scents—kneeling down beside the prone figure. The female was yelling something about electricity, and the male pumped his hands into the prone figure's chest as it spasmed again.

Corrin was about to prowl towards them, both out of curiosity and for the kill, when a wall of water suddenly erupted out of the ground in front of him. He snorted and swatted at the water irritatingly. He tried to back up, but the instant he felt his tail touch some sort of barrier behind him, he froze.

A single figure pushed the rest of the crowd aside as it strode towards him, an eerily familiar song resonating around the chamber. A faint memory resurfaced within Corrin's mind, a memory of a devastated plaza and a woman singing the exact same song.

As the figure strode towards him, the panic and rage slowly fading from his mind as he roared meekly at the figure. The figure seemed to wince and raised a hand as if to protect itself. Corrin reached out with a single claw to grab the figure, but suddenly froze.

This figure…no,  _woman_ , smelled vaguely familiar to him. Corrin shook his head and snorted again as he felt himself unwillingly transforming back into his human form. Corrin clutched his head in his hands as he felt a familiar set of hands wrap themselves around him.

"Azura?" he groaned.

His vision blurred as it focused in on the scarred and disgruntled face of Gunter. Corrin yelped as Gunter gave him a rare smile and sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," he breathed. "You're alright."

Corrin frowned as he felt the stamping of many feet surrounding him. "What happened? Where are we?"

Gunter's lips grew pale as he looked up at some figure above Corrin. He followed Gunter's gaze to see a familiar songstress staring back down at him. He grinned weakly and flapped a hand in her direction.

"Hey," he said weakly. "How've you been do—"

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as Azura threw her arms around Corrin's neck. Gunter's eyes widened for a split second in surprise as he felt her weight settle settle into his arms, but he continued to hold the two of them. After a moment's hesitation, Corrin returned the action, digging his fingers in her hair. He could've swore he heard choked sobs, but when she pushed herself away from him, she was her normal stoic self.

"Where…where are we?" he asked again.

"Where are  _we?_ " the sullen voice of Takumi's voice sounded from somewhere behind him. "Where were  _you?_  Not that I'm the one asking, but admittedly, we've all been worried sick about you."

Corrin rubbed his head as Gunter and Azura helped him to his feet. "I'm…not really sure," he said sheepishly. "All I really remember was being ambushed, being dragged off, waking up, meeting my mother—"

"—you  _what?—"_

"—hearing Azura singing, running towards the sound of voice, being nearly buried alive by an earthquake, and finding you guys," Corrin finished. "Not sure if you guys also had the same adventure I had, but I'm just glad I found you all."

Gunter cracked another rare grin. "Likewise, milord. We've all been worried, as Lord Takumi said."

Corrin's hand moved down his waist to feel the ever-so-familiar sensation of Yato's pommel. "So what've you been up to?" he asked in a tone much more light-hearted than he actually felt, though he tried to not let it show.

Despite his efforts, the group's faces all darkened as half of them turned towards the prone figure, and the other half towards the figure Corrin had smashed into the wall a few moments prior. To his shock, Corrin found himself staring at the crumpled and bloodied figure of Ryoma, with Leo desperately charging him full of electricity using his spells while Sakura tearfully instructed him where to shock Ryoma next.

Corrin ran over to the trio and knelt next to Sakura, taking his sister's hand in his own and squeezing hers. Save for a sniffle and her own fingers tightening, she made no move to show that she had noticed Corrin.

"Over here," she said, pointing at a patch of skin directly under Ryoma's left clavicle. "…try…there…it's not like we've tried that spot before?"

"What happened?" Corrin asked.

Leo pursed his lips but did not answer. Sakura covered his mouth with her hands as he almost broke into tears. Laslow rested a hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"While you were gone, just after we escaped the ambush, we were ambushed again…by…by King Sumeragi himself, Ryoma's father."

Corrin looked up at the gray-haired retainer. "What?" he asked.

Laslow nodded. "Like I said, he ambushed us and challenged Ryoma to a duel. Being the peerless samurai and honor bound warrior that he was, Lord Ryoma accepted, but was struck down by Sumeragi when he pretended to plead mercy."

Corrin's lips curled as he scowled. "And yet my mother told me that Hoshidan duels were a matter of utmost importance between the two contestants, and yet one of them still acted...this…this  _disgustingly_."

Hinoka nodded solemnly behind Corrin. "We were actually hoping that we were able to talk some sense into Sumeragi when it happened. It…just happened  _so fast_. None of us saw it coming."

Corrin shook his head. "No, you shouldn't have tried to talk sense into Sumeragi."

Takumi pushed Hinoka out of the way. "W-what do you mean?" he asked aggressively. "Of course we should have! He was our father! I don't care if you think him as anything else other than your father, but he was a father to  _us_  and he deserved another chance to talk with his children, at least!"

Corrin shook his head again sadly. "No, you don't understand." Standing back up, he looked at Takumi squarely in the eyes.

"Not…everyone was happy to just  _accept_  Anankos' rule over their bodies," Corrin said, picking his words carefully. "Some people, like my mother, even though they were forced into his service, could still act somewhat independently. In fact, that's why I'm still alive all. All because she couldn't bring herself to kill me. I don't know if I can say the same for Sumeragi."

"B-but that's impossible!" Hinoka spluttered. "He loved all of us! He loved Ryoma…"

"I just don't know what to tell you, Hinoka," Corrin said sadly. "The longer someone remains in Anankos' servitude, the more often they'll find themselves agreeing to his beliefs and methodologies. The longer they serve Anankos, the more their original memories and independency fades. Sumeragi's been dead for, what? Fifteen, almost sixteen years? That's a long time for someone to be serving Anankos." He cast a pointed glance towards Azura, who nodded, understanding. Gunter frowned.

"Some people, especially people who are drawn towards the things they treasure the most, are more susceptible to Anankos' will, I'm guessing," Corrin continued. "If anything you told me about Sumeragi was true, our father was a headstrong man, a fearless warrior, who was driven mostly by his thirst for victory and honor. When he entered Anankos services—when he died—I'm guessing his sense of honor and justice slowly deteriorated into pure lust for battle. I don't think he sees himself as a true king anymore, but rather a loyal samurai carrying out his master's wishes, and if his master wishes for him to kill his enemies using any method necessary…well, he's got to do it, doesn't he?"

Takumi frowned but nodded. Hinoka opened her mouth to object further, when Ryoma suddenly coughed, his eyes fluttering open.

"Brother!" Hinoka exclaimed.

She raised her hands to hug her brother, but Sakura raised a finger. "D-don't hug him yet!" she squeaked. "We just finished healing him! There's b-bound to be some things left over that we haven't healed yet."

Takumi dropped to a knee, set Fujin Yumi on the floor next to him as he clasped Ryoma's hand in his own. "How's this possible?" he asked Sakura. "I thought he was dead. He  _has_ to be dead! No one can lose that much blood and live!"

Leo grimly wiped his fingers clean of blood on a handkerchief he pulled somewhere from within the folds of his armor. "Not necessarily," he replied coolly. "Lord Ryoma is…well, for lack of a better term, pretty damn sturdy. I've never seen someone who can take so much punishment like that and live. I was surprised that he lasted as long as he did before Sakura and I got to him.

"What were you two doing? Why'd you keep casting spells on him?" Hinoka asked.

Leo opened his mouth to answer, but Sakura beat him to the punch. "It was all his idea!" she bubbled. "He told me that based on how Ryoma was still twitching and spasming, it would be impossible for him to be dead yet! He said that since the body usually goes into shock after going through such a level of punishment, he guessed that it would still be possible to heal his wounds and restart his heart!"

Leo rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, Lady Sakura," he murmured, the tips of his ears turning a faint shade of red. "If you weren't there, beside me, I would've never figured out where to cast my spells. Genius I may be, and child prodigy I may also be, but an anatomist, I am not. If it weren't for you, I would've probably fried his entire body all together, with the amount of spells I cast on his body."

Corrin ignored the banter between the two as he dropped to a knee and grasped Ryoma by the other hand. His brother's eyes fluttered open weakly and slowly focused on Corrin's paler-than-usual face.

"Corrin?" he gasped. "How…are you—how am I—"

"Sh…" he shushed, pushing Ryoma back down onto his back as the samurai tried to sit up. "Don't worry about it. I'll fill you in later, I just need you to rest now, alright?"

Ryoma breathed a sigh of relief as his fists unclenched. "That…sounds good," he murmured. "I'm…not feeling the best right now anyways." His eyes closed and rolled into the back of his head as he entered a natural sleep.

Corrin nodded, the small grin on his face fading as he stood back up and turned towards Sumeragi, who was struggling to his feet.

" _You!_ " he shouted.

Silence immediately fell over the chamber as everyone turned. Sumeragi froze, his hand still pressed against the bright red smile on his chest as he stared at Corrin.

"So, you must be the one they refer to as Corrin, am I right?" Sumeragi jeered.

"That's right," Corrin replied simply. "I'm him. I'm Corrin."

With a snap of his finger, Sumeragi's dō magically refurbished itself around his chest. He grinned and balled his fist confidently in front of him as he flashed a smile at Corrin.

"Well, I'd be—I haven't seen you…I haven't seen you since the day you died," Sumeragi said, his voice tinged with sadness.

Corrin did not reply but edged closer to Sumeragi, Yato held out in front of his body. Azura, Xander, and the rest of the group hung back, waiting with bated breath to see what he would do.

Sumeragi's eyes unfocused and his clenched fist fell loosely to his side, his face lost in thoughts. "Yes, yes," he mused. "You were just a tiny thing back then, barely able to reach my belt, and already, I could tell you were going to accomplish a great many things. I  _was_  hoping that we would be able to arrange a marriage between you and Azura, if only to bring peace between Hoshido and Nohr, but now I see that I was wrong!"

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Sumeragi continued on, ignoring Corrin's interjection. "It seems, in all my duties to serving the people of Hoshido, I forgot that the true ruler, the  _rightful_ king, the one who suffered for all of us is the one and only King Anankos!"

"No," Corrin growled. "What did you say that you planned for me and Azura to do?"

Sumeragi frowned. "You don't know?" he asked. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he muttered almost to himself. "But surely, you don't—I'm not sure I understand milo— _ah_ , I see, I see. I understand milord."

Corrin tried to flick Yato up to Sumeragi's throat, but the former Hoshidan King batted it aside with the back of his hand like it weighed little more than a feather. "Patience, Corrin," he chided. "Did Nohr not subjugate you to schools dedicated to teaching you etiquette and manners while growing up?"

"Yes, they did, but that doesn't matter right now" Corrin said. "What did you mean by you planned to arrange a marriage between me and Azura?"

Sumeragi tapped his chin guiltily, "Ah, yes, I've forgotten. Mikoto unfortunately passed into Lord Anankos service before she was able to explain to the two of you what your bond would bring Hoshido and Nohr. As terrible as her death was to you and the rest of Hoshido, she ended up in Lord Anankos' service, where she told us the whole story, of how you have the blood of dragons and that you possessed Yato."

Corrin slowly lowered Yato. "What?"

Sumeragi smirked smugly. Everything was going to plan, just as he—just as  _Lord Anankos_  had planned. "I think this charade's been going on enough, don't you agree, son?"

Corrin frowned. "I don't—what do you—what'd you say?"

Sumeragi resisted the temptation to grin wickedly. "Don't tell me that you forgot our plan. Corrin."

"What are you talking about? What plan?"

"Why, our plan to lead your 'friends' down here so we could kill them! We could do it right now, the two of us. You, with your draconic form, and I, with my sword skills, would be able to easily defeat these…these  _usurpers_."

Xander stepped forward. "What is he talking about, Corrin? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Azura stepped forward as well. "Don't let his words affect you, Corrin!" she called. "All he's trying to do is to distract you so he can attack you when your guard's down!"

Sumeragi's eyes flared purple with anger as he stepped towards Azura, purple lightning flashing down the length of his Raijinto. " _Quiet_ ," he ordered. "How can you help these…these people after all those years of painful solitude and rejection?"

Azura frowned. "You don't know anything about me," she said flatly. "I don't need to like people to help them."

Sumeragi opened his mouth to utter a retort but Corrin stepped between him and Azura. "Hey, over here! Don't you go threatening my friends like that," he glowered. "What did you mean by arranging a marriage between me and Azura?"

Sumeragi sighed. "We  _were_  hoping to arrange a marriage between you and  _her—"_

He pointed at Azura, who took a small, barely noticeable step backwards, her face growing paler than usual, "so that we could finally achieve something close to peace between Hoshido and Nohr. But now I see that Mikoto's, Queen Arete, and my hopes were misplaced. The only true solution is to crush both empires and merge them together with Valla, the one true kingdom!"

Corrin twisted to shoot Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura a questioning glance. "Did any of you know?"

Takumi and Sakura shook their heads, but Hinoka guiltily tucked her naginata behind her back. "Well…sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of?'" Corrin asked.

Hinoka tapped her foot nervously. "Well, it was really long ago, like when I was around six or seven. I was walking past Mother's room and I overheard her talking to somebody, a woman, about arranging something between you and Azura. At the time, I didn't know what that meant, but now I understand."

Corrin closed his eyes and rested his head against Yato's edge, the dragon within him urging him to take arms against his father. Sumeragi grinned. "Yes…do you feel that anger burning inside you towards these group of ruffians that you call 'family'? You needn't rely on Yato alone. Use that anger,  _twist it,_  unleash it! Avenge your mother! Kill these usurpers so that we can finally be together, as true father and son!"

When Corrin opened his eyes, red eyes burned, tinged with steel. "If…you think the anger you sense within me is directed towards my friends, then you are  _sorely_  mistaken."

Sumeragi settled into a fighting position. "Regardless of who you feel anger towards, use that anger and unleash upon me! I would be a poor excuse for a father to not take care of his children's mental wellbeing."

Corrin snapped, the dragon within baying for blood. "Don't call yourself my father!"

He dashed towards Sumeragi, Yato low to the ground, the tip almost scraping the stone. "You're not my real father! My father died in Cheve, doing what he loved most, protecting his children, not challenging them to battle and striking them down as he saw fit!" He accentuated the end of each sentence with another heavy blow from Yato.

Sumeragi's eyes widened in surprise, then slight panic as Corrin threw himself at him. Corrin transformed his left arm into a spear-like appendage, stabbed towards Sumeragi with it, transformed it back, slashed upwards with Yato, savagely kneed Sumeragi in the stomach, and when the older man keeled over, brutally shoved Yato into Sumeragi's chest with both hands. Not done yet, his anger still driving him, Corrin grasped Yato's pommel and twisted, causing Sumeragi to scream out in pain before he reached with his hand and struck him across the face, leaving red, angry mark. Azura, Sakura, and Hinoka gasped at the sight while Takumi's fingers tightened audibly around Fujin Yumi. None of them had ever seen Corrin fight so…brutally.

Sumeragi's eyes bugged out as he staggered backwards against a wall, his hands slick with blood as he stared into the golden edge protruding out of his body. Corrin stepped backwards and looked back the faces of his friends. To his despair, none of them would meet his gaze. Only Azura, whose mouth was hidden behind her slender fingers would meet his gaze, and the hurt and shock in her eyes felt like a hammer blow to his ribs.

Corrin stared at Sumeragi in horror for a moment. He instantly dropped Yato and rushed over to Sumeragi's side and held his hand. Takumi, Sakura, Azura, Hinoka, and Ryoma, who had just woken up, all dashed—or in the case of Ryoma, hobbled over by propping himself up on Xander's shoulder—over to Corrin and Sumeragi.

Sumeragi pulled out the blade, which turned out to be his last mistake. The instant Yato left his body, blood and intestines spurted outward, followed by a billowing black smoke that Sumeragi instantly recognized. With a groan, he collapsed against the wall, sliding down it until his hand fell weakly to the floor.

He raised his other hand and looked at it. "Lord Anankos…why have you forsaken me?" he murmured before his vision suddenly shifted. Standing and kneeling around him were his sons and daughters.

Sumeragi winced as a wave of blinding pain racked his body as the gray-haired blur to his left called for Sakura. A similarly shaped blob appeared next to Takumi, only this time tinged with red and white instead of grey. The blob waved some sort of rod over him, and almost instantly, his vision cleared again.

Despite the feeling of bliss nestling itself in his abdomen, Sumeragi knew the wound was a fatal one. Plus, Anankos would've never allowed any of his free will unless they were no longer useful to him.

"Dammit all! Why isn't this working? What are we doing wrong?" Takumi asked, his voice cracking.

Sakura desperately cast another wave of healing magic over Sumeragi. The flow of blood slowed momentarily before continuing to pour out at an even faster rate. "Save your energy," Sumeragi said weakly.

Ryoma dropped to one knee and stared into Sumeragi's eyes. "Father? Is that really you? And not some…some puppet or trick?"

Sumeragi coughed. "It is," he said simply. He beckoned for them to all lean in and listen to him. "Listen to me, I don't have a lot of time left in this world. Anankos made sure long before-hand that his servants would never see to live another day once he released them from his service, but I would've spent all of it with you, my children."

He tried to sit up but collapsed flat on his back with a heavy crash.

"Father!" Hinoka clasped Sumeragi by the front of his armor and laid her palms flat on his chest. "Not yet!"

Sumeragi chuckled as he wiped his hands free of blood on his trousers and ruffled Hinoka's short red hair. "Ah…" he sighed. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that: to ruffle your hair. Mikoto told me of how you wanted to keep your hair short until the day you rescued Corrin, but you still kept it short. Why is that?"

Hinoka tearfully smiled. "I'm starting to think it suits me pretty well after all this time."

Sumeragi smiled back. "I think so too. Keep it that way. I like it."

He looked at Sakura. "Hello, Sakura. Have you been well?"

Sakura also gave him a tearful smile as she nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, of course! I-I've never been better!"

Sumeragi's eyes saddened. "I'm…so sorry, to have not been there for you," he said solemnly.

Sakura blinked, confused. "W-what do you m-mean?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I've never been there for you. After you were born, I spent so…so much time grieving for Ikona and falling in love with Mikoto that I was afraid that I had neglected you. You were just such a tiny little thing, barely fitting in the length of my hand, and now look at you! You're such a beautiful, brave, young, sweethearted women. I'm sorry I was never there to see you at that koto recital when you were younger."

Sakura's hands went up to cover her mouth in surprise. "You…you knew about that?"

Sumeragi smiled gently as he cupped Sakura's cheeks in his hands. "Well, of course! Cruel and depraved Anankos could be, but we still had 'some' sense of freedom. So long as we came back with what he wanted, we were free to do whatever we wanted to in the area."

Sakura smiled and almost immediately broke down into sobs next to Hinoka, who comfortingly wrapped her younger sister around the shoulder as she struggled to fight back tears of her own."

Sumeragi turned to look at Takumi.

"Takumi…why…why are you crying?"

Takumi forcefully wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm…I'm not!" he said, convincing no one. "I'm…I'm just allergic to seeing you again."

Sumeragi chuckled. "Well, don't be. You and your siblings have all met and even surpassed my hopes for you, which is saying something, both as warriors on the battlefield and as royalty of Hoshido. I could've have wished for a better son. Be proud. Be proud of who've you become, what you've done, and the things you did, because I am."

Takumi nodded once. "I…I will, Father. Thank you."

Sumeragi smiled but his eyebrows furrowed as he looked around. "Where…where is Ryoma?"

Ryoma shifted uneasily. "I'm over here," he said.

Sumeragi's eyes moved downward to see the red armored and brown maned samurai kneeling at his feet. "Why don't you move up here, next to Takumi and Hinoka?" he said congenially. "That way, I don't have to strain my eyes too much."

Ryoma's lips pursed but he did as he was asked. Behind him, Xander extended his hands to help Ryoma up, but Ryoma simply shook his head. Xander reluctantly retreated.

Ryoma fell to his knees, his fist flat against the surface of the floor as he knelt next to his father. Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, and Azura all nervously swept their eyes between the two men. Ryoma had said some…pretty harsh things, but Sumeragi was the one who tried to kill him.

Sumeragi sighed, and Ryoma reached out with his hand. Azura's eyes widened.

"Ryoma, don't!"

Ryoma's and Sumeragi's hand closed around each other as they clasped it together in a powerful handshake. "I…I can't tell you how proud I am to see you like this, Ryoma," Sumeragi whispered.

Ryoma nodded. "I can't believe its really you. Tell me, one thing, just one."

Sumeragi brought his head closer to Ryoma's lip. "What is it?"

"Am…am I ready to be a good ruler, once this is all over? Do you believe I have what it takes to rule Hoshido even with a wound as grievous as mine?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I've must've been a poor father if all you're worried about is the throne." He looked into Ryoma's eyes. "In all my years of ruling Hoshido and running amok with my friends and retainer, I've learned one thing: the throne  _chooses_  the next ruler. As you know, the throne was infused with the power of the First Dragons, granting it ability to allow those who sit on it to regain their true form and mind. It will always choose a ruler that is both benevolent and firm with its people. It will never choose nor allow one who is not fit to rule to sit on the throne. Such is the magic woven into it. The throne reveals those who sit upon it for who they really are, so tell me: did you ever sit on the throne before?"

Ryoma hesitated for a second. "It's alright if you did," Sumeragi said kindly.

"…Yes. I did," Ryoma finally said after a moment's pause.

"And happened? Did anything about you change?"

"…No."

"Did any part of your body change appearance? Did it allow you to sit on it?"

Ryoma paused again, unsure of how to answer. "…No, and…yes, I guess?"

Sumeragi nodded then. "Ah, I see. Then you have nothing to fear, Ryoma."

Ryoma frowned. "But I don't understand! I've only seen you and Mother sit on the throne, but nobody else! When I sat on the throne, nothing happened! Does it mean that I'm not worthy to rule?"

Sumeragi chuckled and shook his head. "No, no! If nothing changes, then it means that the throne deems you pure of heart and worthy to rule!"

Ryoma blinked. "What?"

Sumeragi pinched the bridge on his nose as he shook his head. "I've really been a terrible father, haven't I?"

He looked back up Ryoma. "Ryoma, if you sat on the throne, and nothing about you changed whatsoever, then it means that the throne declares you worthy of becoming the next ruler, do you understand?"

"But…but what about my wound—"

"It doesn't matter!" Sumeragi snapped, though not unkindly. "The throne watches for worthiness and truth, not power and how well you fight! Even if you were mangled horribly in battle, if the throne declares you fit to rule, then you rule. I know it's part of the samurai code to die gloriously on the battlefield with honor, but in this case, nothing is as important as the Hoshidan throne, do you understand?"

"One last thing, before I go…where's Corrin and Azura?"

"Over here." Hinoka grabbed Azura by the arm and dragged her over. "She's right here."

Sumeragi looked around. "What about Corrin? Where's he?"

"…Over here," came the quiet reply.

Sumeragi's eyes, if possible, became even sadder as he grasped Corrin by the shoulders. "I'm…so,  _so_  sorry for attacking you. You were right, I wasn't the father I thought I was."

Corrin rested his hands on top of Sumeragi. "There's no need to apologize. You didn't have a choice when Anankos ordered me to kill us. If anything, it should be me that should be apologizing."

"I'm not talking about me trying to kill you and Ryoma, though I do admit that I had some fault in that," Sumeragi interrupted. "It's…just been…so long since I've seen my children, and so long since I've had a worthy opponent that the lines between the two began to blur. What I'm talking about is about how I wasn't able to protect you that day—the day Garon took you from Hoshido. Your life would've been so…so different if only I was stronger that time."

Corrin frowned, trouble. "There's…no need to apologize," he said. "They're faint, but I still have some memories about you, watching you swinging Raijinto, training Ryoma, throwing me into the air and catching me, feeling safe whenever he patted me on the head with your hand. I know that you truly cared and loved me as if I was your own child, and you gave your life away trying to protect me."

Sumeragi chuckled "Hah, such a forgiving young man you turned out to be…Tell me, did you ever meet Mikoto down here in Valla?"

Corrin glanced nervously at the others. Takumi, Sakura, and Hinoka were already out of earshot, murmuring quietly to each while Azura chatted with Ryoma, though they had the good sense to not eavesdrop.

"Yes. I did."

Sumeragi reached out and grasped Corrin's forearm. "That's…good. That's very good. Just…remember what she said about the doors," he said, his eyes slowly dulling.

"Why?" Corrin asked. "Is she planning to betray us?"

Sumeragi shook his head. Was it just him, or was Sumeragi slowly turning clear?

"No, no," Sumeragi murmured. "It's…just that our time together was so short. I'll never forget how we met. I was just travelling through Hoshido to one of the nearby Fire Tribes, and there I saw her, working her hands off on a washboard. I knew instantly that I had fallen in love with her. Sometime later, after Valla fell, she fled to Hoshido, only this time, with you."

"Me?" Corrin asked. "W-what do you mean? What does this have to do with—wait, how did she travel to—"

"Oh, you were such a small tiny thing," Sumeragi continued. "Even as a baby, I could sense that you would achieve a great many things, though I didn't expect killing a god to be ranked so highly on that list."

Corrin couldn't help keep himself from chuckling. Then, just as quickly, his mirth died. Sumeragi noticed the sudden change and tilted his head quizzedly. "What's wrong, Corrin? If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me."

"I feel like everything so far in my life was already predetermined," he said reluctantly, after a lengthy pause. "Like no matter what I do, I'll always be stuck on the same path. That's why I refused to join Hoshido or Nohr the begin with: I was sick of being told that I had just one purpose in life, and that that fulfilling that purpose was all I was good for."

Behind Ryoma, Xander wrung his hands nervously. Everything Corrin just said struck a particularly noteworthy chord within him. He too had been subjugated to those exact same words and thoughts.

Hinoka, Sakura, and Takumi all shifted uneasily. "We'll…just let you guys do your thing," Takumi said as he cautiously inched away.

Corrin waved his hand. "It's fine, Takumi. All of you are my family. You've all earned the right to listen to my ramblings, I guess."

Continuing on, Corrin rested his chin on his knees as he stared ahead listlessly. "It…I guess it came sort of a shock to me that you and Mother planned to marry me off to Azura."

Behind him, Azura blushed.

"I mean, it's not all that unpleasant, but I guess it just sort of came of a surprise to me—to the two of us. It's…just that I have one question."

"What is it?" Sumeragi asked, pushing himself as much as he can against the wall.

"Is…all of this worth it?"

Sumeragi frowned. "I'm…not sure I understand what you mean by that."

Corrin sighed. "I knew you wouldn't be able to understand. What I meant was, was everything I did so far worth it? Reuniting Hoshido and Nohr, getting the two kingdoms to work with each other; what happens if it was all for nothing? What happens if Anankos just wipes us all out in the blink of an eye? Was it my destiny to fail?"

"Of course not!" Azura interrupted. "How could you think that?"

Corrin guiltily rubbed the back of his head. "Well—I mean, you remember what I told you, right? Back in the fort, when you snuck into my room?"

"I  _did_   _not_  sneak into your room. I…simply thought you needed help with finding that map."

"Doesn't matter," Corrin said, waving his hand. "The point is, remember how I felt really bad about how poorly we started this invasion? About how quickly we lost Scarlet, and then nearly half our army? Remember that?"

Azura frowned. "Yes…what of it?"

Corrin rubbed the back of his head as he squeezed Azura's hand. "And me asking you to run and save yourself if anything was to happen to me?"

"Of…course," Azura said frostily. "How…could I not?"

"Well, I was thinking. What happens if we're doomed to fail? What happens if Scarlet's death was just a premonition of the rest of us? Would it be too late for us to back out?"

Sumeragi clasped Corrin on the shoulder. "Listen to me, Corrin," he said. "In a way, yes, your life was already set in stone. According to Anankos, you were the second 'successful' half-breed to have been born in over a thousand years. That can't just be a coincidence. Your fate may have been set in stone already, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything to change it. It'll…just be a bit harder."

Corrin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I don't know. All I have is this feeling in my gut telling me that…maybe it would've been better for things to have turned out this way, for you to have followed this path as long as you have. It's sort of when you know where your opponent is going to strike next, you know? You just  _know_."

Corrin looked towards Azura, who gave him a faint smile in return. "Do…do you think we have a chance of defeating Anankos?"

Sumeragi looked startled by the question. "Well, er, of course! You have the blood of the dragons coursing through your body! I expect that to give you an edge, even if it's a really small one, but I truly that believe that you have the ability to overthrow and kill that dragon if you try hard enough."

Corrin stared blankly at Sumeragi. "If we try hard enough," he repeated. "Is that it?"

Sumeragi shrugged. "Well, basically. There's really nothing I can do to help you now. Maybe it  _is_  Anankos' fault that he killed me so that I couldn't help you. Maybe it's  _because_  Anankos killed that I feel more inclined towards helping you, but I believe it in my heart of hearts when I say that you have the ability to defeat him."

Corrin opened his mouth to object, but Azura interrupted him by suddenly planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. He flinched, surprised. "What was that for?"

Azura blushed. "Well, we didn't really have a proper reunion after you found your way back to us, and we need to move out soon, and since you were still stuck in conversation with your father, so I thought this would be the best way to catch your attention."

"Well, yeah, I guess it worked, but we're also really busy right now! How is this a good time for you to be kissing me on the cheek when we literally have a dragon sitting in a castle literally right above us! We don't have time to spend time kissing and hugging!"

Azura snarkily raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember me saying that, instead of you. What happened to the bright, energetic, optimistic boy back in the fort?"

Corrin pinched the bridge on his nose in exasperation. "I—er, I don't know…I just…wasn't expecting you to get so sentimental all of a sudden."

"Well, even in the miniscule chance that everything  _is_  already set in stone, and that we're destined to fail, I would still like to see you happy one last time."

"Why? So I could ride off into battle with a smile and kiss mark on my face?"

Azura pushed him, playfully affronted. Sumeragi sighed and chuckled. Corrin and Azura turned back towards him. Azura turned a faint shade of red as she realized that Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura were all watching them,

"What?" Corrin asked.

Sumeragi held up a finger as he continued to chuckle. "I know you feel like everything in your life was predetermined already, but just know, your betrothal to Azura was not one done out of necessity or reason, but rather for sentimentality."

Corrin frowned. "What…do you mean?"

Sumeragi chuckled again. "The two of you? The way you're acting right now? You're acting almost the same as when you two were children, playing in Izumo, during peace talks."

Corrin and Azura both flushed and looked away from each other, though Azura had a pleased smile on her face.

Sumeragi smiled at their embarrassment. "Regardless, Azura, if you may, there's one last thing I need to tell Corrin.  _Alone_."

The smile on Azura's face faded almost instantly but she nodded. "O-of course, King Sumeragi."

Sumeragi rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, Azura," he said. "I'm your uncle, for gods sake. You don't need to worry about titles around me!"

Azura pursed her lips but nodded as she stood up, smoothening the front of her dress. Corrin reluctantly let her fingers slip out of his own as she patted his head gently before heading off to talk with the rest of Corrin's siblings. Sumeragi reached up and grabbed Corrin's shoulder.

"Listen here, Corrin," Sumeragi whispered.

Corrin brought his head closer to Sumeragi's lips. "Yes?"

"You  _do_  plan on proposing to her sometime after the war, right?"

Corrin froze. "Well—yeah, I hope."

Satisfied, Sumeragi released Corrin's shoulder. "Very well then," he said. "Then I give you my blessing."

"Your…blessing?" Corrin asked haltingly.

Sumeragi smacked his own forehead. "Of course, you never learned about marriages, have you?"

"N-no, not really, though I would like it if you could keep the lesson to a minimum."

Sumeragi rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, whatever, fine. Basically, before proposing, it is the husband's responsibility to seek out his parent's approvals and blessings before formally proposing. Since I just gave you mine, if you really wanted to, you could propose to her right now, though I'm not sure if that would be the wisest idea."

Corrin's eyes widened. "W-wait, really? N-not the part about proposing right now—I'm planning something later—, but you would be willing to…give out your blessing just like that? What about Ryoma? What about Takumi?"

Sumeragi made a non-committal noise. "Eh, they'll be fine. It's  _you_  I'm worried about, Corrin. Once this war is over, you'll not only have to deal with two countries still hostile to each other, you'll also have to deal with the countless hours of work that comes after a war. I wanted to give you my blessing right now because…well, I'm, afraid I won't be here that long. Better now then never."

Sumeragi opened his mouth to continue, but Kaze suddenly materialized out of thing air next to Corrin, bent down, and whispered something urgently into his ear. Corrin's ear pricked up as he heard what Kaze was saying. Corrin reluctantly rose from his haunches.

"I'm…I'm sorry…Father," he said, the word sounding strange and rusty in his mouth. "But Kaze just told me that they found something, and that they needed me. I…I wish we could've talked more. I wish we could've had more time together. I'm sorry that we needed to leave you like this."

Sumeragi shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it wasn't like I was going to last much longer after this anyways. One last thing."

Sumeragi groaned and pressed his arms to his stomach. He was definitely starting to turn clearer now, skin fading away to reveal translucent muscle underneath. Alarmed, Ryoma, Sakura, Takumi, and Hinoka sped over to their father's side. Only Azura hung back, standing behind close to Corrin. Sumeragi looked down at his hands and shook his head.

"What a disgrace…" he muttered. "Look at me. Once a king, but now I'm little more than Anankos' plaything now. At least he had the courtesy of letting me spend my last few moments with my children, all of you. That includes you too, Azura."

Azura blinked, surprised.

Sumeragi's eyes fixated themselves on some faraway point. "I'm just so to see you again, my children."

Ryoma knelt down and shook Sumeragi's shoulder. "Father? Are you alright, Father?"

"So…glad…"

"Father! Wait, don't leave us! Not yet!"

"…so…proud…"

And with those words, Sumeragi breathed his last. His skin turned clear, and turned into water. Ryoma recoiled as the water splashed onto his clothing while Azura and Corrin sadly looked at each other and at the puddle of water spreading out beneath their feet.

Ryoma bowed his head, his fist shaking. Takumi sank to his knees, his eyes wide and full of shock. Hinoka gently patted her brother's on the shoulder, murmuring words of comfort to them as tears flowed unchecked. Only Sakura was not crying. Instead, she turned around and buried her face in the person closest to her, which happened to be Leo. He blushed as she sobbed in his shoulder. Reluctantly, he wrapped his armored arms around her back and patted her gingerly. Azura also leaned into Corrin, and he too wrapped his arms around her, taking comfort in each other's warmth and company. Meanwhile, Xander, Elise, and Camilla exchanged saddened looks. Elise patted Ryoma on the shoulder as Camilla dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled out of her bra. Xander looked down at the floor between his boots, Siegfried pulsing in response to it's master's emotions.

On the other side of the chamber, partially hidden by shadow, Gunter stroked his chin.

"Interesting…"


	15. Chapter 15

"Over here!" Keaton called. He waved over the rest of the group.

Corrin, Azura, Xander, and Ryoma all ran over while Benny and Effie grunted as they picked up and forced aside what seemed a random boulder leaning against the wall, revealing yet another, much smaller, yet wider tunnel. Keaton's and Kaden's tail and ears twitched as they sniffed the air curiously. Corrin picked up a nearby torch mounted on the wall and waved it into the darkness, trying to see how far the tunnel went, the flames flickering against the gray stone walls. He glanced nervously at Azura, Kaden, and Keaton.

"A-are…are you sure this is the way we're supposed to go?" he asked, not bothering to hide the fact that his voice was shaking ever so slightly.

Kaden thumped Corrin on the shoulder. "C'mon, Corrin. It's not that bad. It's just a little dark."

Corrin clenched his fist. "I'm…not scared of the dark. I…just have a—"

"You sure?" Keaton interrupted. "Sounds like you do. It's alright if you're scared of the dark. Keaton here is scared of spiders."

"Hey!" the kitsune protested. "I thought I told you to not tell anybody!"

Corrin glared at Keaton irritated. "I  _am not_  afraid of the dark!" he snapped. "I'm…just not comfortable with tight places.  _Dark_  places especially."

"So you  _are_  afraid of the dark then!" Kaden needled.

Corrin shot him another irritated look. "Stay focused," he ordered. "We need to be alert. I got a feeling that this place is filled with traps. Be careful."

Corrin looked back at the group behind him. He locked eyes with Azura, who gave him a small, faint smile and made a  _go on_  gesture with her hand. Taking a deep breath, Corrin unsheathed Yato and held it in front of him, the weapon giving off a faint golden glow.

"Everyone ready?" he called out. A moment passed as every checked their weapons and persons for their needed equipment. Ryoma nodded towards Corrin.

"We're all ready," he said in his deep voice. His dō had been repaired, courtesy of Laslow and Odin, though part of his right sode was still shattered from his fight with Sumeragi.

"Alright," Corrin said after a moment's hesitation. "Let's…move out."

And with that, the group walked forward into the tunnel, weapons at the ready.

* * *

"Hey," Azura said in a small voice as she sidled up next to Corrin. Corrin jumped as he felt her brush his side. Everyone else had gone on in front of him, leaving only him wandering blindly towards the end of the tunnel. Understandably, he was a little bit more than just  _apprehensive._

"Ah! Don't scare me like that, Azura!" he said nervously. "I don't need to worry about you sneaking up on me while I'm stuck down here. Gods knows what else could be down here."

Azura looked him concernedly. "Are you alright? You…seem a little pale—er,  _paler_."

Corrin turned to face her, Yato's light illuminated part of his face. True to her words, Corrin  _did_  indeed to seem a little paler, his skin so white it appeared to be nearly translucent in the torch light. His red eyes danced nervously in the dark around him as the earth shook ever so slightly.

"What was that?" he asked nervously.

Azura patted his arm. "I'm sure it's nothing, Corrin," she said reassuringly. "It's probably just the sounds of the battle. We  _are_  basically right underneath them, after all."

"I wonder how it's going for them. The soldiers, I mean." He looked at Azura. "Do you trust that…Robert something-or-other fellow that Laslow, Selena, and Odin called."

Azura shrugged. "It's  _Robin_ , I'm sure. Personally, I'm not too sure about him, since on one hand, he  _did_  just sort of appear out of nowhere, but then again, Laslow, Selena, and Odin have all been loyal and trustworthy retainers in the past. If they trust him, I'd be so hazardous to say that we should too. Plus, I've talked with the man a few times before. He seems to know what he's doing."

Corrin nodded thoughtfully. Neither mentioned the unspoken fact that if they failed to kill Anankos, it probably wouldn't matter if they trusted the tactician or not. Azura linked her arm around Corrin's.

"Anyways," Azura said in a manner mimicking casual conversation almost perfectly. "Why  _are_  you so pale?"

Corrin laughed nervously. "What're you talking about? I'm not pale. Have you seen yourself recently? I-I mean, you're even paler than I am!"

" _Corrin_ ," Azura pressed, more seriously this time. "What's wrong? Have you been poisoned or something?"

Corrin paused. "Eh—no. It's…just that I'm…not too fond of underground spaces.  _Tight_  underground spaces."

Azura frowned. "Oh? Why's that?"

Corrin sighed. "I don't know," he said defeatedly. "I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone has  _some_  fear of being trapped underground forever, but I feel like ever since I discovered that I'm, well, half-dragon, it feels like that fear grew even bigger, somehow, you know?"

"Ah. I see," Azura said simply, unsure of how to properly respond. Corrin? Afraid of tight spaces? If they weren't currently in such a situation, she would've laughed. Even still, as she dwelled on this thought, she suddenly became conscious of just how tightly packed they were in the tunnel, her shoulders grazing against the stone walls as they walked.

"I guess that's…understandable, considering that you  _are_  part dragon."

Corrin nodded. After a lengthy pause, Corrin asked, "Do…do you know what that's called? Being afraid of tight spaces?"

Azura nodded. "I think it's called something the lines of claustrophobia, but I'm not really sure. I'd have to ask Leo about that. He knows more about random tidbits of information than I do."

Corrin nodded. "I see. Thanks, Azura," he said.

"Of course."

"Hey, um, Azura?" Corrin asked quizzingly.

"Yes?" Azura rose her eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Uh, you're  _positive_  that we'll find Anankos if we keep going down this way, right?"

Azura frowned. "Well, yes, we should."

"You don't sound so sure yourself," Corrin noticed.

"It's…just that the last I've been in Castle Gyges, I was a toddler," Azura admitted. "There's just somethings I've never seen before, only heard about. Like this? The tunnels under the castle? I've read before that some survivors managed to escape down into the abandoned sewers beneath the castle, but I never expected it to be so…so convoluted."

"What about this tunnel, then?" Corrin asked. "Do you know where this one leads?"

Azura paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before replying. "… _Sort of?_  I mean, I've never been down here, but I think I have an idea where this one leads, though I could be wrong."

"Let's hear it, then."

Azura unlinked her arms from Corrin. "Are you sure, Corrin?" she asked. "you may not like what you hear."

Corrin shrugged. "It's fine," he said. "I've probably heard worse."

Azura sighed. "Well, when I said that we were underneath Castle Gyges,  _technically_ , I was lying."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's Castle Gyges, you know, the big castle you saw while we were in the forest.  _Underneath_  the actual castle itself is the dungeons."

"—the dungeons?" Corrin interrupted.

Azura nodded. "Yes, the dungeons. Underneath that, is well," she gestured to the rock all around them, " _this."_

"While all castles have some sort of dungeons built within them, Castle Gyges is…unique. While the previous rulers never needed anything more than the city guards and occasionally the military to deter criminals, when Anankos started…acting up, more and more people found themselves on the wrong side of the law. At first, it was minor. Relatively. A murder here, a series of assaults there. But the longer the threat of Anankos loomed over us, people started getting more… _desperate_."

Guilt, along with what sounded like shame, crept in Azura's voice as she continued. "Since we couldn't just  _kill_  those who defied the laws, nor let them run free for their crimes, my mother, Arete, the queen of Valla, ordered that the tunnels beneath Castle Gyges be excavated out to create one of the world's largest dungeons—if not  _the_  largest dungeon."

Corrin opened his mouth to ask how she knew so much about this, but decided against it, remembering her habit of reading and storing historical knowledge about…well, everything, as well as her reluctance to reveal any secrets she may have picked or hid in the past

"These dungeons…were they ever completed?"

Azura sighed. "No, and perhaps it was better that they were completed. Even before the dungeon was completed, nearly all of the cells were filled with either those who had broken the law, or those who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Corrin whistled. "Were there really that many people who were being arrested?"

Azura nodded sadly. "You have to understand, Corrin, that not everyone was happy with my mother for being queen. In an odd sort of way, most people actually preferred my father, Theophilus, even though he was considered rather weak-willed by many. Most thought he was too easily swayed by his friendship with Anankos, which only further fueled the rage that came after he murdered my father. To them, he went up to Anankos waving a metaphorical white flag, and when Anankos killed him, well, you know how the story goes…"

Corrin frowned. "That's odd. You've never mentioned your father before."

"Did I not?" Azura tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, I did now."

"Back to the point," she continued, "Even before my father was killed, Valla was not…in the best of states, according to my mother. I was still too young to remember or understand what was happening at the time, but my mother made it clear that I was to learn as much I could about her past, in case I…I met someone who could help me."

Corrin blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, though a wry smile threatened to break out on his lips. "Well, lucky you, I guess."

Azura smiled. "Yes, I was  _very_  lucky to have met you," she replied.

Corrin coughed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "About that…about us meeting each other. Could we talk about our whole… _thing_ …for a second?"

"What thing?"

Corrin coughed again and let his hand rest uneasily on Yato's pommel, the familiar surface warm to his fingers. "You know that…that I really love you, right Azura?"

To his relief, the pause that followed was almost nonexistent. "Well, of course!" she replied. "But what does this—"

"While I was fighting Sumeragi, he mentioned something about having a marriage arranged between us two."

"…What of it?" Azura asked. "Even if our marriages were arranged king before we were born, that still doesn't change the fact that I…that I  _love_  you, Corrin."

Corrin's mind short-circuited at that. "W-wait, really?"

Azura looked at him in confusion. "W-well, of course!" she said, lightly slapping his arm. "What made you think the opposite? Just because I'm not one to wear my heart on my sleeve—"

"—you literally kissed me on the cheek in front of everyone. While my father was dying."

"—that's beside the point!" she snapped, though the soft glint in her eye somewhat softened her harsh tone. "Sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that.

"'It's alright," Corrin mumbled.

"…just because I'm not someone who likes to be all affectionate in public, doesn't mean that I don't love you, Corrin. I'd thought you'd know that by now, considering how long we've been together."

"Well, I-I mean, we've barely known each other for a year before we started, you know, courting, and it's only been a couple months since we did!"

Azura rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Point is, even  _if_  our marriage was arranged a long time ago, and even  _if_  we knew each other for a relatively short amount of time, that doesn't change that fact that I'm  _happy_  being with you, Corrin. I  _enjoy_  every moment we have together, and nothing, not even a  _dragon_  with near god-like powers, can change that."

"Do…do you really mean that?"

Azura wrapped an arm around Corrin's waist. "Of course," she replied. "What even brought this up in the first place?"

Corrin grinned sheepishly. "Trust me, it's better if you didn't know. You'll probably think of me as a fool if I told you."

Azura chuckled and drew Corrin ever closer. "You can trust me, right? I promise I won't tell anyone else."

Corrin rolled his eyes and sighed. " _Fine_. I was afraid that if you found out that our marriages were arranged, you would feel really angry about it and not…love me as much anymore."

 _Gods, was there even a way to word It so that he_ didn't _sound like a child?_

Azura blinked, before breaking out into a fit of giggles. Corrin's eyebrows furrowed together, but it wasn't long before he felt a grin also start to break out on his face.

"What?" he said defensively.

Azura covered her mouth with her hands as she tried to compose herself. "Corrin, I hope you know that I love you too, it's just that sometimes, you really can be hopeless. I forget that not everyone has seen the things that I have, so it's always a pleasure to watch you stumble along."

Corrin pouted.

"Besides," Azura continued, taking pity on him by patting his arm, "it's not as if the marriage ever went through, remember? Sumeragi said they  _planned_  to arrange it between us, but since Garon, you know, killed Sumeragi, the betrothal never really went into motion, so it  _technically_  never existed."

Corrin chuckled along with Azura this time, and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. This time, Azura was pleased to note, his arm wasn't shaking nearly as much as it had a couple minutes ago.

"…I was worrying too much about this whole 'arranged marriage' thing, wasn't I?"

"Mhmmm."

"But you're still willing to, I don't know, continue on with me?"

"Yep."

"I never to worry about anything, didn't I?"

"Nothing whatsoever."

"I should've just accepted the whole thing as it was, shouldn't I?"

"You definitely should've."

They continued walking in silence for another minute, enjoying each other's company as they walked, before Azura finally spoke up again, her tone much more sober this time. "Anyways, back to what I was talking about, my mother made it clear to me that our kingdom was already going through a rather difficult time, and when my father was murdered, all it did was remind them what the true threat was. Before, Valla was undergoing one of its worst famines after Anankos destroyed Brightwood Forest, one of Valla's most bountiful habitats. It supplied everything: lumber, food, everything. Droughts wracked the kingdom, and fires and riots were spreading everywhere. People turned to…less honest methods, so my mother was forced to use even less honest methods."

"That sounds terrible," Corrin murmured. "I can't imagine how hard it must've been on you and your mother."

Azura laughed dryly. "Ha, I was still too young to remember anything. Remember that all this happened either before I was born, or just after my first or second birthday. Everything I know of Valla before that, my mother told me."

Corrin nodded. "I see."

"Anyways. After Anankos attacked, those who trapped in the dungeon…remained trapped. Hopefully, Anankos had already turned those trapped down here to his service. They deserved that much, at least."

Corrin pursed his lips. It never failed to both surprise and disgust him the atrocities Anankos committed. It was despicable, to say the least.

"If my guess is correct, this tunnel should lead us out into either the castle dungeon," Azura continued. "Once we're in, then we'll—well—do your thing…" Her voice meandered off.

The two continued walking. As they walked, Azura rewrapped her arm around Corrin's. He gave her a grateful smile, glad that there was at least one other person down here with him. Normally, Azura wasn't one to be openly affectionate, but in times such as these, who knows if they would ever get the chance to talk again?

Corrin frowned as he felt the dragon within him growl. It was a useless warning, since it told him nothing of where the danger might be, or even what kind of danger it was. He stopped in his tracks, his ears twitching ever so slightly as his eyes darted around.. Azura frowned as she noticed his sudden pause.

"Corrin?" she asked, her voice fraught with concern. "What's wrong?"

Corrin didn't respond, but instead tilted his head to the side, sniffing the air. If it wasn't for the wild look in his eyes, Azura would've found the spectacle of Corrin acting like a wolf somewhat humorous.

"Corrin?" Azura asked again, this time, not bothering to hide the nervousness seeping into her voice.

" _I AM…THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON. THE BETRAYED KING, THE ENTOMBED GOD.._ "

Corrin's shoulders slumped. "Ah, not this again."

He tore Yato from its sheath and pushed Azura behind him, shielding her with his own body.

"Hey!" she protested as Corrin slammed her back against the wall. "Careful!"

He pressed his back against Azura's chest as he looked down the tunnel, Yato held out in front of him.

"C-Corrin?" Azura's voice rang out again. "I-I can't see!"

To his horror, he suddenly realized that he had dropped the torch, bathing them in the dark. They were nothing more than a pinprick of light in a sea of darkness. Azura shakily wrapped her hand around Corrin's waist. To her concern, his entire body was shaking just as much as her hand.

"Corrin, what's happening?" she asked

" _IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"_

Corrin turned to see a purple figure, flickering with red flames, racing towards him, its feet barely touching the floor as it glided towards him ethereally. Only this, time, there was nowhere to run, nowhere he could retreat to.

"Azura, run!"

Corrin pushed Azura out of the way as he raised Yato to defend himself, but before he could, the figure conjured the flaming sword that had killed Scarlet and raised it for the deathblow.

His vision flashed purple and orange. He felt himself fall onto the cold stone floor beneath him, his head uttering a nasty  _crack_ as it banged against the floor. Corrin could vaguely smell the scent of smoke rising up from his body. How bad the damage was, he wasn't sure—the figure had managed to knocked Yato out of his hands and for some reason, he couldn't move.

_Poison?_

No, it couldn't be poison. If he  _was_  poisoned, then everything would be hurting a lot more.

Time slowly sped back up for Corrin as he registered the fact that he was still alive, albeit paralyzed. He couldn't even call out Azura's name. It felt like the blow had glued his mouth shut.

"Corrin?  _Corrin!_ "

Azura's pale face appeared in the peripherals of his vision, her features barely lit by Yato's blade.

_Wait, where is Yato?_

His eyes darted around. Azura set her hands on his chest as she called his name again. "Corrin! Are you hurt? Answer me!"

Azura gasped and rose her hands off his chest as she noticed the acrid scent rising from his armor. Though the armor was undamaged, there was a patch of black soot where the figure had struck Corrin. She gingerly poked the patch, but quickly yelped and withdrew her finger.

" _Gods_ , that's hot!" she exclaimed. A sudden chill filled her body as she realized what the blow meant.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" Her voice was high and reedy, the way it sounded whenever she threatened to lose her composure

Corrin tried to answer, but couldn't force his lips to move. Azura's eyes widened, then sighed in relief as she saw his red eyes darting around nervously. He was paralyzed, but alive. Not even his hair, which was posed somewhat ridiculously in front of his face, was moving, so that it looked like it was standing up on its own.

"Alright," she said, struggling to hide the shaking in her voice. "One blink for yes, no blinks for no. Can you hear me?"

One blink.

"Are you hurt in anyway? Do you feel any pain?"

Corrin's eyebrows furrowed as he glared down at the wisp of smoke rising from his chest, then, two blinks.

"Do you know what just attacked us?"

Two blinks.

"Can you talk? Can you move?"

Hesitation, then two blinks again.

Azura sighed in relief. "Well, at least you're fine. Er, well, mostly."

Corrin rose an eyebrow as he looked down at his body again. Azura cleared her throat as she set her hands back on Corrin's chest.

"Alright, listen to me," she ordered. "I don't know what just attacked us, or what they did to you, but you look like you've been paralyzed. I don't know how they did it: I didn't hear them cast a spell, but until we can get Leo, Elise, or Sakura to look at you, you're nothing more than a statue. Do you understand?"

One blink.

Azura pressed her palm into her chest as she took a deep breath. "Alright," she said after composing herself. "I'm going to go look for help, alright? You…just stay here and do…what you're doing."

Corrin rolled his eyes. He was  _paralyzed_. What else was he supposed to do? Get up and starting doing a waltz?

Azura smiled, grateful that he was still alive.

"I'll be right back, alright? Stay calm."

And just like that, she was gone. Save for the faint yellow glow emanating somewhere to his right, everything else was black. Corrin felt the familiar sensation of his throat closing in as he realized that he was still in the tunnel. Underground.  _Alone_.

_Oh gods, Azura, hurry up. I don't know how long I can stand this._

Time passed. Corrin didn't know how long he laid there on the stone floor. An hour? A day? A minute?

Whatever the case, after what felt like an eternity, Corrin could just barely hear the sound of metal boots clanking down the tunnel towards him. Corrin tried anything, lift his head, make a weak noise, wiggle his fingers, to try and dissuade the attacker.

To his everlasting surprise, the scarred and heavily-shadowed face of Gunter appeared over him. He looked nervously over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, irritation creeping into his voice, though it was offset by the worry in his eyes. "We've been looking for you! We'd thought you've been separated from us again!"

Corrin tried to respond, to say  _anything_ , but the most he could do was make a strange grunting sound and desperately flick his eyes downward. Gunter frowned as he noticed Corrin's unusual silence.

"What happened to you? Did something attack you?"

Corrin blinked once, then remembered only he and Azura knew their little code. He tried to simulate nodding his head by flicking his eyes up and down. Gunter sighed.

"Wait here. I'll be back with a healer," he ordered.

Corrin's eyes widened as he tried to call out his old friend's name, to tell him that Azura had already left to find a healer, but to no avail. Gunter rose from his haunches and set off again, the familiar clinking of his boots slowly fading away.

After what felt like another eternity, the sound of Gunter's boots returned, along with the soft pitter-patter of Sakura's and Azura's feet, along with a fourth set of boots that he couldn't quite place. His sister's trademark red hair flashed in the corner of his eye and Azura's pale face and Gunter's serious expression reappeared over him.

"…and then he was paralyzed," Azura finished saying. "Do you know how to cure him?"

A sigh sounded, and then the voice of Leo rang out. "Technically, yes, but I'll admit, such a method will not…be pleasant. For him."

Gunter frowned. "What do you mean?"

Leo cleared his throat. "Part of the paralyzing process is to freeze any and all nerves in a person's body, yet let enough nerves remain free and functional so that the body organs can continue functioning properly, such as his brain, lungs, and eyes. What this means, however, is that he can't feel pain or relief. Once I free Corrin, however, any wounds he's received since then will hit him immediately.  _Hard._ "

Azura sighed. "Well, at least I know why he told me nothing hurt, despite the  _giant_  burn mark on his armor."

Gunter's eyebrows shot up as he frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked.

"We were walking and talking," Azura explained. "He was asking me about Castle Gyges' dungeons, and I was giving him a brief history of it when it happened."

"What happened?" Leo asked. "Don't keep us waiting. The more I know, the easier it'll be for me to help him."

Sakura waved a healing rod over Corrin's body, whispering a few healing spells as she glanced at the trio out of the corner of her eye. He had been expecting the usual rush of relief that came with healing. Corrin followed her movements carefully.

"Corrin paused all of a sudden,"" Azura continued, "and then some  _thing_  appeared out of the darkness and started to approach us. Corrin pushed me out of the way, but when I came to, he was like this." She gestured sadly to Corrin laying on the ground. "Paralyzed."

Leo rubbed his. "And you didn't hear them casting a spell?"

Azura shook her head. "No. All I heard was Corrin telling me to run, him pushing me out of the way, and then Yato falling to the ground."

Gunter grunted. "Likely story."

Azura peered at Gunter. "It's the truth, I swear! I promise, I had nothing to do with it!"

Leo waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. All that's important right now is that we cure Corrin. If we can't get him back on his feet, this whole mission is a failure."

Azura and Gunter pursed their lips, both wanting to continue their argument, but both also wishing to let Leo concentrate on his work. Leo frowned and opened up Brynhildr, flipping it through a series of pages until he found the one he was looking for.

"Ah, there it is.  _Vaetna!_ "

Almost instantly, Corrin's limbs loosened, and his hair fell back to cover his eyes. That would've been fine, if it weren't for the sudden burst of pain billowing out on his chest, where the figure had struck him, followed almost immediately by the familiar sensation of healing afterwards.

"Huh _,"_  he said, rubbing his chest, the armor warm beneath his fingers. "You weren't kidding about everything being frozen."

Leo's face remained impassive, though the softening in his eyes gave away the fact that he was happy to see him healthy. Sakura murmured another healing spell under her breath.

"H-here," she muttered, pushing Corrin back down onto the floor. "Let me finish up r-real quick."

Corrin waved his hand dismissively as he groaned and sat back up. "It's fine, Sakura. Save your healing items for someone else. It doesn't hurt that bad. Might need to replace this suit of armor after all of this is over, though."

Cowed, Sakura drew back, clutching her stave close to her chest as she watched Corrin carefully sit back up. He pushed the hair out of his eyes.

He looked around. "Yato," he murmured. "Where's Yato?"

"Over here, milord." Gunter procured a rag from within his armor, wrapped it around the legendary blade, and gingerly handed it to Corrin. He took the blade, ran an eye over the length of it, to check for any damage when it clattered to the floor, before sheathing it. Gunter looked at him concernedly.

"Are…you sure you're alright?" he asked. "What happened? We managed to reach the end of the tunnel, which strangely enough led us to the castle dungeons when Azura suddenly ran out of the tunnel behind us without you. Understandably, I was a little bit suspicious, so I ran back into the tunnel, hoping to find you, and so, here you are."

Corrin groaned again as he felt the blood in his head boil. "I…I was attacked."

"By whom, milord? By whom?" Gunter resisted the urge to shake Corrin's shoulders.

"Do you know who attacked you? Do you know why they attacked you?"

Corrin frowned as he let Sakura touch the burn mark on his armor again. "I…I think it's the same person as the one who attacked me, and killed Scarlet when we were falling into Valla."

Gunter frowned. "Scar…let? The name doesn't sound familiar. Is she the Chevois wyvern rider with the flower pinned to her chest?"

Corrin nodded, before shaking his head to clear away the buzzing in his head. "Yeah. Whoever—or whatever—they were, they were using incredibly powerful magic. I've never been attacked like that before."

Gunter frowned as Azura helped Corrin to his feet. "They must've been planning to attack you while you were alone, milord. When Azura ran out of the tunnel without, babbling about some purple figure, I knew something was wrong."

"If this… _assassin_ is constantly hunting attacking Corrin, perhaps it would be prudent for us to hunt him down before he hunts us down?" Leo mused,

Corrin shook his head. "No, I don't think it's worth it, honestly."

"What do you mean 'it's not worth it?'" Gunter asked. "You were  _attacked_ , milord. You were lucky it was a paralysis spell and not anything else. They could've  _killed_  you."

"I don't think so," Corrin frowned. "If they  _were_  trying to kill me, they wouldn't have been telegraphing their position by shouting, 'I am the forgotten dragon. The betrayed king. The entombed god.' I think you all know the rest."

"Then…if this same attacker is trying to catch you while you're separated from everyone else, does that mean they knew about how you were alone and separated from the rest of the group?" Gunter asked slowly. "You and Lord Ryoma might be right, milord. This spy could be part of our group."

Corrin sighed. "I know you and Ryoma are trying to look out for me, but we can't just automatically assume anything that attacks us is a part of our group. Remember, this is Anankos' realm. If he wanted to, he could probably create an entire group of assassins out of a single puddle and surround us. We can't just start accusing one another of being a spy—it'll tear our group apart—and no one, especially Scarlet, would've wanted that to happen."

"But you're certain that this is the same attacker that attacked you and the Chevois woman in the canyon?" Leo asked again.

Corrin hesitated. "Well, no, not really, but since we don't really have a choice, would it be that much more dangerous if we assumed they were the same person? I mean, they both said the same things, they both tried to attack me, and they both used the same sorts of weapons."

Gunter glared at Azura. "I, for one, believe Lord Corrin."

Azura unconsciously took a step back away from the knight looming over her. "I promise I'm telling you the truth!" she squeaked. "I wasn't the one who attacked Corrin!"

"Oh really?" Gunter growled. "Then how come instead of  _yelling_  for us to come help you, how come you just left my liege alone? On the floor?  _In the dark?_  When you knew he was claustrophobic? You were the only one with him when he was attacked!"

"W-wait, big brother, you're cl-c—you have claustrophobia?" Sakura asked.

"That's not important," Corrin snapped.

"I was trying to get help!" Azura protested. "It would've been safer for me to catch up to the rest of you to tell you about Corrin! We're trying to  _sneak_  into Castle Gyges, not give away our position!"

Gunter glanced at Corrin out of the corner of his eye, who was frowning as he watched the two argue. "Milord, surely, you can't—"

"That's enough, Gunter," Corrin said, calmly raising a hand. "I know it's your duty to protect me, and that you…may not be the youngest by any means, which means you have experience in maters that the rest of us don't, but that doesn't mean everyone is automatically a threat to me. I trust Azura with my life, and there's no way that she would be willing to kill me. I was the one who pushed Azura out of the way. Hell, we were even talking about—"

"—he doesn't need to know that!" Azura yelped, her voice high and reedy again.

"…we were talking about… _personal_  issues," Corrin finished, glancing carefully at Azura. "So trust me when I say that Azura was  _not_  the one trying to kill me.

Gunter frowned and opened his mouth again before Leo cut him off with a sharp slash of his arm.

"Furthermore," Leo interrupted, "this has been the second time you've accused Azura of being a Vallite spy—"

Corrin looked at Gunter and Leo in shock. "You  _what?_ " Corrin asked Gunter.

Gunter's mouth became a grim slash. "It was after you were separated from us, milord. I thought Lady Azura would be the spy, since she was the only one among us with Vallite blood and—"

"—we've already made clear that any sort of accusation against members of the Nohrian throne could be considered an act of treason," Leo continued. "Therefore, should I hear that you've been badmouthing anyone else because you thought they were a Vallite spy, you'll have  _me_  to answer to."

As if to accentuate his point, one of Leo's gloves suddenly burst into purple flames, illuminating the rest of the corridor and giving him a sinister appearance.

Gunter swallowed and bowed respectfully. "My apologies, Lord Leo. My apologies, Lady Azura. And most of all, my apologies to you, Lord Corrin. It's simply that the sight of that flower pinned to that Chevois' woman's chest as it burned away…I think its safe to say no one wants to see you meet the same fate, milord."

Corrin nodded, both satisfied and a bit miffed, while Leo and Azura narrowed their eyes suspiciously. "Do you really expect us to—" Azura started.

Corrin interrupted her by raising his hand. "That's enough, Azura. We're all friends here. We need to trust each other if we're going to have a shot at defeating Anankos."

Corrin turned towards Gunter and clasped a hand on his erstwhile retainer's shoulder. "Trust me, Gunter. I know about the spy, and I'm beginning to suspect it's someone in our group."

Gunter's scar deepened with worry. "But milord! Doesn't that mean…"

Corrin squeezed Gunter's shoulder. " _Trust_  me. I can take care of myself. I won't let my guard down, alright? As for you two…"

The half-dragon turned towards Azura and Leo. "Lay off of him, won't you? I know it hurts to be called a traitor, Azura, but you have to understand that it's his job to protect me and warn me against any potential enemies."

Azura looked like she was about to argue, but her face quickly reformed itself into her usual stoic mask. "If…if you say so," she murmured.

Leo crossed his arms and nodded once, a jerk of his head, but remained silent. Gunter shifted uneasily, but continued glaring at Azura whenever Corrin wasn't looking. Corrin looked around, rubbing the back of his head.

"Now, do any of you know which way the rest of us went?"

* * *

Ryoma and Xander both simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief as the forms of Corrin, Azura, Sakura, Leo, and Gunter appeared out of the darkness behind them.

"Oh thank the gods you're alright!" Camilla gushed as she wrapped Corrin in a bear hug. "I would've killed that dragon myself if you were hurt in anyway!"

"Camilla…can't…breath…stop!" Corrin grunted as he pushed her off of him. "You…really need to stop hugging me like that," he gasped. "It's…getting embarrassing."

Camilla pouted as she reluctantly released Corrin. Silas and Kaze both ran to him, apologizing deeply.

"Leo was just filling us in," Silas explained. "You alright?"

Corrin brushed off Silas' hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he said. "It was just a paralysis spell, nothing too major."

Silas shook his head. " _Just_  a paralysis spell, Corrin? Please, you were—"

"Lucky that it was a paralysis spell and not anything else," Corrin completed. "I know. Gunter gave me an earful on the way back to you guys."

"I should've been there by your side," Kaze said miserably. "I failed my duties as your retainer.  _Again_."

Corrin clapped Kaze on the shoulder. "Trust me, it's fine," he said reassuringly. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Kaze frowned. "Yes, but—"

"It's  _fine_ , Kaze," Corrin said. "You need to stop beating yourself every time something happens to me. I can take care of myself, alright?"

"But it's my duty to—"

"It's… _fine_."

Kaze opened his mouth to protest further, but instead closed it and swallowed, nodding. Corrin smiled.

"You're a good retainer, and an even better friend," Corrin said. "You don't need to feel guilty for me. Let  _me_ , feel bad for  _me._ "

"Alright, so what's going on?" Corrin said, brushing past Kaze and Silas. "What happened while I was…you know, paralyzed?"

They were stuck on the wrong side of a massive iron gate, the prongs sinking easily four or five inches into the decayed ground. The handlebars were turning brown with age. Beyond that, there was a series of cells lined up on either side. In the distance, a broken-down stair led to the second level of cells, where the remains of a ruined balcony and walkway stood. Corrin grasped the handlebars of the gate and peered around curiously.

"Was this the dungeons you were talking about, Azura?" Corrin asked.

Azura walked up behind him and peered out of the gate. "Oh my," she gasped.

Corrin turned towards her. "Azura?"

She flinched but quickly recovered. "Oh, um, yes, it is. I just…never expected it to be so…complete."

"Wait, what dungeon?" Ryoma asked. "What's wrong with it? Are we in the castle or not?"

Corrin unsheathed Yato, grimacing as the sound echoed throughout the dungeon. "Alright, long story short, Arete, Azura's mother, built this dungeon to control the growing rates of crime shortly before Anankos attacked. Everyone who was jailed in the dungeon when Anankos attacked remained trapped. To answer your second question, yes, we are on castle grounds, but still not in it, technically. We'll need to find our way out of here first before we can fight Anankos."

"Sounds easy enough," Takumi scoffed. "It's not like this place has any guard actively patrolling it, right?"

The words had barely left Takumi's lips before a figure with a familiar purple aura surrounding it turned the corner. If Corrin didn't know that Vallites were just puppets being manipulated by Anankos, he could've sworn that the guard's eyes widened in surprise at seeing forty-odd people crouched behind a locked gate.

The guard took a step back and began to turn—

"Kaze!" Corrin hissed.

Almost immediately, Kaze disappeared, and reappeared right next to the guard, some fifty-odd feet away. How, Kaze managed to travel so fast in such a short amount of time, even by Hoshidan ninja standards, Corrin would have to ask later, but for now, it was all he could do as he watched Kaze subdue the guard.

The guard dropped the polearm in his hands—the spear-like weapon would be nearly useless in such close quarters against an enemy—and struggled to unsheathe the thick shortsword on its belt. Before the guard could unsheathe so much as an inch, Kaze elbowed the guard in the stomach, before brutally planting a kunai in the guard's neck and kicking him over the side of the walkway, the guard turning into a steamy mist as he fell.

Kaze looked down at where the shortsword clattered against the rocks and waved towards Saizo. Saizo silently nodded and dropped to one knee as he ran his hands over the grimy and dusty stone wall next to the gate.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked.

Saizo grunted as he brushed aside an old and crumbling mosaic to reveal hidden lever, hidden away by dirt and time. "Searching for a hidden lever, milord," the surly ninja replied.

As one, the group backed away and held their breath as they waited for the gate to lift up. A few patches of dirt fell from the ceiling as the gate rumbled ominously, but beyond that, the gate remained stubbornly grounded. Saizo frowned as he glared up at Kaze, who stared back.

Saizo sighed. "Damn. There has to be another lever somewhere inside," he groaned.

Ryoma rolled his eyes and unsheathed Raijinto. "This is a waste of time," he said gruffly. "Everyone, stand back."

Xander frowned. "Ryoma, what are you—"

"Siegfried may be equal to Raijinto in terms of pure power and lethality, but the one aspect that Siegfried will never possess is Raijinto's extraordinary sharpness," Ryoma explained as he lined up the angle.

Xander's eyebrows furrowed. "That's…impossible," he muttered. "Both Siegfried and Raijinto were crafted by the Rainbow Sage. How could one be sharper than the other?"

"Maybe Siegfried can do a better job at cutting through these bars than Raijinto," Ryoma admitted, "but it is also here, that a samurai's training pays off, for not only do we focus on the art of war, but also on the art of cutting through as many objects as possible. For both practicality, and entertainment."

Leo rubbed his chin. "Intriguing."

Xander was still not convinced this was the best way to go. "But…but won't your idea make a lot of noise when they fall?"

Ryoma smirked. "Only if there's any guards around to hear it."

"Saizo! Kagero!" he called. "Is this area cleared?"

Almost immediately, both of the Hoshidan retainers reappeared on the other side of the gate, Saizo brandishing a multitude of new weapons.

"Yes, milord," Kagero said.

"And here is my proof," Saizo added, tossing the bundle of sheathed knives to the ground.

Xander's eyebrows nearly jumped off of his face. "How…did you…get past the gate—wait, weren't both of you just standing behind a minute ago—what's the me—"

Kagero winked at the Nohrian prince, an unusual display of levity for the usually serious ninja. "Hoshidan arts, Lord Xander. Hoshidan arts."

"To actually answer your question," Ryoma coughed into his fist, "while your retainers may boast some of the finest swordplay I've ever seen in a Nohrian—"

"Cheers!" Laslow chirped.

"—they lack many of the… _intricate_  arts and skills taught to Hoshidan ninjas at an early age, which includes the ability to phase into shadows, which admittedly perplexes me to no end."

And with that, Ryoma raised Raijinto high over his head and brought them down in a mighty blow across the rusty bars. Sparks of blue electricity jumped from the blade to the bars before winking out and dying. Saizo and Kagero jumped back, taking care to avoid touching the charged and smoking metal bars.

Three more times Ryoma struck, and with each strike, more bars fell clattering to the ground. Finally, with a flourish, Ryoma sheathed Raijinto and looked down at the iron rods rolling across the floor.

"And that's how it's done," he said with a confident smirk.

Corrin brushed passed him, taking a moment to step over the still smoking bars. One of the disadvantages of being barefoot all the time was that he had to watch his step literally all the time. He extended a hand to help Azura across, and before long, all of the party was across.

"What now?" Takumi asked, looking around the dungeon. The dungeon's ceiling was easily over fifty feet high, and the walls were easily far apart to allow a swarm of guards to pour in from the two doors standing ominously in the far corner of the room.

"Come on," Corrin waved. "Kaze, you know how to pick locks, don't you?"

The green-haired ninja nodded silently.

"Good. Take point then," Corrin ordered. "Open the  _blue_  door, got it? The  _blue_  door."

Takumi frowned. "How do you know that's the right door?"

"Because our mother told me so," Corrin replied.

Ryoma frowned. "That's impossible. Mother died years ago. How could she have told you?"

"When I was talking with Azura, before we headed into the tunnel, she told me about how she…sort of 'bumped into' one of her old retainers," Corrin explained. "She said that after stabbing him, he started…acting a lot more human, and less as a messenger for Anankos. Our mother explained to me that even though Anankos is using her as a puppet, her 'spirit remains her own.'"

"Horse-shod," Takumi said disbelievingly.

"That's what she told me," Corrin replied calmly. "I don't know if it's because our mother's will is that much stronger than the rest of the Vallites that we've fought so far, or if it's because Anankos, in his madness, accidently released her from his service prematurely, but so far, she's been acting relatively independently from his whims. In any case, after I was separated from the rest of the group, I woke up in a corridor, away from the rest of you. A couple Vallites tried to attack me, but before they could, I heard Mother's voice telling them that 'that was enough.'"

"How did you know it was our mother?" Ryoma asked, his voice stern

" _Because_ , Ryoma," Corrin explained patiently, "After I heard her voice, she appeared in front of me. She told me all about how you were in a duel with Father, and how it would be…difficult, to get the two of you to stop. Fortunately, by the time I found my way back to you guys, Sumeragi was already weakened, and you incapacitated."

Ryoma crossed his arms, his face full of both slight disapproval and shame. "Fortunately."

Corrin nodded. "Fortunately," he agreed. "She told me about how Hoshidan duels being really sacred, to the point where even Nohrians wouldn't dare to interfere."

"Well, at least that part's true," Takumi admitted. "I remembered a time where one of the nobles refused to partake in a duel. He didn't last a week after that."

"Anyways…" Corrin continued. "Our mother appeared in front of me, told me about how Ryoma and Father were having a Hoshidan duel, and told me that we'll be coming across a set of doors in a dungeon and that we should only open the blue doors unless we have a death wish."

"What do the red doors have that makes them so dangerous?" Hinoka asked.

Corrin rubbed the back of his head as he tried to remember. "She didn't really give a specific example. She just said a lot of…nasty stuff."

"Like…?"

"Spikes…pitfalls, the usual."

Ryoma nodded. "Ah, I see. So that's why we can only open the blue doors. The red doors have traps behind them, right?"

Corrin nodded. "Yep."

Hinoka twirled a lock of hair thoughtfully in her hand. "Mother must be trying to work against Anankos all this time. That's why she appeared to you, right?"

"Er, well, she never told me  _why_  she appeared to me," Corrin stammered. "All she asked me to do was to defeat Anankos for her and to open the blue doors. That's it, basically."

Takumi folded his arms and frowned. "Well, I suppose if it means seeing Mother one last time, I guess this could be worth it."

Corrin glanced around at the four Hoshidan royals around him. Ryoma seemed satisfied with the amount of evidence Corrin had presented him. Sakura and Hinoka hugged each other eagerly in relief, glad for the opportunity to see their mother again, while Takumi seemed to flicker between being skeptical of Corrin's claims and being hopeful to see their mother again.

Behind them, Kaze gave a satisfied chuckle as the lock opened with an echoing  _click_. Everyone turned towards the green-haired ninja as the doors swung open of their own accord.

On the other side, two Vallite guards stood at attention, unaware of the group standing behind them. Without hesitation, Kaze and Corrin both unsheathed their weapons, clamped their hands over the guards' mouths, and promptly slit their throats.

The guard's weapons clattered to the floor as their owners disintegrated. Kaze peeked cautiously into the room before abruptly withdrawing his head. He raised four fingers.

Saizo nodded as Kagero leaned in next to Corrin. "There's four guard in this chamber," she explained. "Two guarding the doors leading to the next chamber, and two patrolling the floor."

Corrin looked at her, bewildered. "How did—?"

Silas slipped behind Corrin as he peeked into the room. "Corrin, we have to take them out quietly," the paladin whispered urgently. "We can't risk having them alert the rest of the guards."

Corrin nodded grimly. He gestured towards Kaze, Saizo, Kagero, and Takumi. "I'm sorry that you'll have to do all the hard work, but it'll be easiest for all of us if you three," he pointed towards Kaze, Saizo, and Kagero, "assassinate the guards while Takumi takes out whoever you don't kill."

Kaze lifted a veil over his face as the lines around his eyes deepened. "No need to apologize, milord," the green-haired ninja stated. "It's our jobs."

"Agreed," Saizo murmured.

Corrin sighed and pushed back his hair. "Alright then, you have your orders. Go."

* * *

They repeated this process two more times. Once for the room they were just in, and another time for the room after that. Like before, it was Kaze who picked the lock. While waiting for the ninja to finish his business, Keaton and Kaden literally sniffed around the dungeon, eventually returning with an oddly shaped sword with a hole in the middle of the blade and some sort of mask.

Odin shakily took the mask, his hands shaking ever so slightly. "No way," he murmured, his extravagant speech forgotten. "That's impossible!"

Laslow likewise held the sword gingerly. "How is this possible? I thought—"

"Something wrong?" Xander asked.

Laslow and Odin hastily cleared their throats. Odin unceremoniously stuffed the mask in his back pocket while Laslow unclipped his current sword from his waist and strapped on the sword the wolfskin and kitsune found.

"Nothing, milord," Laslow fibbed. "I…just found an old keepsake."

Xander frowned. "Well, make sure you don't let your urge for looting distract you. We're still in the middle of a battle."

"Of course not," Laslow replied. He turned back to Odin.

"This can't be!" he murmured to Odin.

"But yet, it is!" the mage replied forlornly.

"Do you think…?"

"Well, she  _did_  disappear after, you know, the whole thing."

"Yeah, but if her things are here, what does that mean…?"

"Hey, Odin, Laslow, pay attention!" Leo snapped. "We're in the middle of one of the most delicate moments in the combined history of Hoshido and Nohr, and you have the gall to stand around whispering among yourselves?"

"Ah, forgive us, Lord Leo," Laslow apologized bowing deeply. "We…simply found a familiar memory."

"A memory from our homeland, to be precise!" Odin added in, knowing that it was probably easier to admit the half-truth than it was to create a lie on the spot.

Leo frowned, knowing he was venturing on dangerous territory. Normally, Odin was a cheerful and optimistic individual, but whenever their conversations turned to his homeland, the blond mage would become uncharacteristically sulky and quiet.

"I see," Leo said, rubbing his chin. "Well, just like Xander said, we're in the middle of a battle. Don't get distracted."

Laslow and Odin bowed deeply again. "By your will, Lord Leo," Odin affirmed. He glanced nervously at Selena, who was casually stealing glances at the two of them. All three of the knew their plan was coming into fruition. It was just a matter of time. This…complicated things, though.

"Laslow."

"Hm?"

"Should…should we tell her?"

"…"

"Laslow?"

"…Probably. All we found was her things, but not, you know…a body. She could still be alive."

"Hopefully."

"Yeah. Hopefully."

* * *

After eliminating all of the guards in the chamber, the group rushed in and up a set of stairs leading to the last set of blue and red doors. Laslow, Odin, and Selena were still whispering to each other, even as the group shuffled nervously. According to Corrin, this should be the last door they need to pass through before finally confronting Anankos.

With a final  _click_ , the door swung open, depositing them into another massive corridor running for what Corrin guessed was close to a quarter mile, which would undoubtedly take them deep inside the castle. At the far end was another set of doors, similar to those they had just passed through, but golden in color and covered in pattern silver that glowed beautifully in the light of the flameless lanterns mounted at regular intervals along the walls.

As a result of the years of negligence and the fact that a dragon was busy occupying the castle, pieces of rubble were strewn about the hallway. A couple of bones and pieces of scatted the floor, and more ominously, dried blood splatters lined up against the floors and walls.

Dozens more smaller passageways branched off to either side, though thankfully, none were large enough for a dragon to pass through. Silver banners embroidered with Anankos personal emblem, Valla's national symbol with an orb covered in eyes behind it, hung along the walls every couple dozen feet. Other than that, the hall remained bare.

Corrin assumed the throne room was on the other side of the golden doors, but he doubted it would be as easy to reach as it appeared.

"This is the castle now, isn't it?" he asked Azura.

Azura nodded silently.

The sheer size of the passageway was intimidating enough, but the sheer emptiness and  _silence_  made Corrin that much more nervous. Curiously, Corrin noticed everything sounded… _muted_ , as if a thick cloth had been clamped over his ears.

He gestured to Azura and pointed to his ears. Azura nodded.

"I can feel it too," she responded, her voice sounding muffled and faraway.

Glancing back, Corrin noticed that they were not the only ones feeling the effect of the 'silence.' Kaden and Keaton were pawing at their ears, or in Keaton's case, messily picking at his ear with a finger. Leo frowned and looked around.

"What's wrong with our hearing? Do you feel that?"

Corrin nodded. "I feel it too."

He found it puzzling that Anankos had not already attacked them with waves after waves of undead soldiers, but for now, Corrin was glad for the reprieve. He remained acutely aware of close they were to Anankos and their final goal. The entire citadel seemed to be watching them.

"This isn't right," Azura muttered.

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"Everything's…too quiet. Where are the guards? Where are the traps? Surely, he would've had  _some_  sort of protection, right?"

"Then he has to know we're here," Ryoma said. " _All_  of us."

"Then we'd better make haste," Leo said. "We can't afford any distractions, tempting some of them may be." He gestured with his head toward a chamber labelled as 'Library.' He had barely taken a step forward before the castle shook around them.

"What was that?" Elise yelped, clutching her healing rod closer to her chest.

Corrin cursed. "Damn, we need to split up."

"Split up?" Silas asked. "Why?"

"Remember the plan? The main army was supposed to launch a diversionary assault on the castle gates, thus allowing  _us_ ," he gestured to himself and everyone behind him, "to sneak into the castle, where we can open the gate and let the rest of our reinforcements in."

"And where are the gates, do you think?"

"To the left, down the hall, fifth door on the right."

Everyone blinked in shock as Azura answered the question.

"How…do you know that?" Elise asked.

Embarrassed, and also recognizing the danger of the situation, Azura unconsciously stepped closer to Corrin. "Oh, well, um, I said before that I grew up in Castle Gyges. Wouldn't it make sense for me to retain  _some_ memories of this place?"

"But you said you were barely three when you and mother left," Gunter said. "How could you know where the gate controls are if you were only three?"

Azura opened her mouth to argue again, but Corrin beat her to the chase. "That's enough, Gunter. Stand down," he ordered. "I know we're all a little on edge, and I'm sure talk of a spy has reached your ears, but this is no time for us to fall apart. At the end of this corridor," he pointed towards the golden doors, "is our true enemy.  _There_ , not here, among friends. Yes, somebody among us may have shifting loyalties, but we can't afford to fall apart like this when we're so close, alright? We just need to hang in there for little bit while longer. We can deal with the spy once we deal with Anankos."

Leo scoffed. "You sound like that's going to be easy."

Corrin glared at Leo. "Careful there, Leo," he glowered. "Just because you're a royal doesn't mean your loyalties aren't suspect."

Cowed, Leo bit his tongue. Corrin grimaced. He hadn't meant for his words to come out so harshly, but as Corrin looked around at his group of friends and allies, he could feel a tiny part of him whispering  _One of them is a spy._

Corrin shook his head and kneaded the bridge of his nose with a single hand.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" Ryoma asked.

Corrin shook his head again to clear the voice and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Just feeling a little bit tired. It'll pass."

He pointed towards Azura, Gunter, Silas, Ryoma, Sakura, Elise, Xander, Takumi, Leo, Hinoka, and Camilla. "All of you, come with me. We'll need as much royal blood as we can get if we're going to have a shot at this."

Laslow frowned. "What about us retainers? Some of us have a job, you know!"

Corrin frowned back at the silver-haired retainer. "Where did you get that—you know what? Doesn't matter. Fine. Anyone who  _isn't_  a retainer, you're part of the group responsible for getting the gates open. That means people like Subaki, Hana, Selena,, Laslow, everyone who's a retainer. Those people come with us. You may not have royal blood in you, but you were chosen because of your ability to protect them, and that says something about you. Everyone else, you're responsible for getting the gate open."

"Are you sure, about this, milord?" Gunter asked. "The second force seems awfully small compared to the rest of the group. Splitting up our forces like this is the fastest way to—"

"I'm sure, Gunter," Corrin said wearily. Already, he could start to feel the weariness weigh on his shoulders. "If we don't have the support of the armies behind us, we don't stand a chance. None of us do. I know the second group is pitifully small compared to the group responsible for taking down Anankos, but so far, there's been no guards. We should take advantage of the situation as much as we can."

"Just because there's no guards doesn't mean there won't be later," Takumi pointed out.

"You have oyur orders," Corrin glowered. "Just follow them through. I mean, come on. When have I ever let you done with my orders?"

At this, the group shifted uncomfortably. All of them had followed through on Corrin's orders once or twice, ridiculous as some of them might be, and every time, they've emerged victorious.

To everyone's surprise, Elise stepped forward. "He's got a point," she said in her squeaky voice. "Sure, big brother's strategies may have been odd at some points, but his strategies always worked out for us in the end."

That sealed the deal.

After a few grumbles, and embraces, the group separated. Mozu threw her arms around Kaze's neck, and it was only after a moment's hesitation that he returned the gesture. Selena and Subaki whispered something to each other before filing in behind their respective lieges. Caeldori looked between her parents, confused.

"Uh, Lord Corrin?"

"Yes, Caeldori?"

"Uh, who do I go with? Since, you know, both of my parents are retainers but I'm not."

Corrin blinked. He'd forgotten about the children. Yes, children were rare, but Selena had pulled a few strings with one of her acquaintances, an Anna, and managed to open a portal to what they called a "deeprealm". Corrin could still remember the look of shock and pure unadulterated  _joy_  on Laslow's and Odin's faces when Subaki and Selena emerged, a bit worn down and tired-looking, yet satisfied as a third figure emerged from behind them.

Selena explained the whole ordeal, in her own brash way, of course. She explained of how during the course of preparations for Valla's invasion, she and Subaki slowly fell for each other. After several months together, they inexplicably vanished every couple of days throughout the month, whereupon one of the merchant Annas stationed in Corrin's castle explained how she opened up a deeprealm portal for them to  _finish their business_.

The Anna explained how time was drastically slowed down for those in the deeprealm. Two days translated to nearly a year in the deeprealm, and a month translated to nearly fifteen years.

Whenever Corrin asked Subaki or Selena about where they've been going, they would simply blush, glance each other, and avoid the question. It was only they disappeared and reemerged with Caeldori that everything fell into place.

During the course of the entire explanation, the only thing running through Corrin's head was:  _This entire thing sounds like bullsh—time acceleration? Alternate pocket dimensions? What is this?_

At first, Corrin was tempted to lash out at them for trying to pull the wool over his eyes, but after Caeldori somehow managed to twist his words into agreeing to forgive her parents and let them continue to serve in their respective roles—much to everyone's amusement—he tried to prevent Caeldori from fighting in the war. He had been against the idea of sending children into battle, even alongside their parents. That all changed when Caeldori managed to nearly floor her father in a training session.

 _That_  changed Corrin's perspective on things. Sure, it wasn't a victory, since Subaki managed to win by  _just_  few strands of both skill and luck, but he let it slip that anyone good enough to topple one of the best Pegasus Knights in the Hoshidan army was probably deserving to become part of Corrin's personal guard. That, plus the fact that when it came to overseeing menial tasks such as counting the number of spears in the Hoshidan armies, Subaki had been more than willing to surrender his role to his daughter.

"Lord Corrin?"

Caeldori ogled him with those familiar red eyes, the same kind of eyes whenever Selena asked him to break open his purse to buy some sort of dress for her whenever they were in a market buying supplies for the market. With Azura supervising, of course.

Corrin blinked again and shooed her away dismissively. "Uh, yeah, you can go with our parents. Technically, since they're both retainers, that responsibility passes on to you."

Caeldori frowned. "That's…not how it works…"

"Go. You have your orders."

Corrin wiped his hands free of sweat on the edges of his cape as he looked around.

The second group, led by Charlotte and Benny, set off towards the passageway Azura described. Corrin watched them disappear into the room as sounds of faint sounds fighting broke out. Suppressing a grin, he motioned for the rest of them to continue on their way. As they walked down the corridor towards the golden doors, they expected with every step to see dozens of Vallite soldiers rising out of the shadows pervading the ruined chamber. But the rest of the gargantuan hallway proved to be free of any obstacles, which bothered Corrin.

The fight with Sumeragi, had, what, taken place less than two hours ago? Plus the fight with Arete, and him getting lost, and the bridge, and Anthony, plus the long march to the bridge, Corrin could feel the fatigue and wanting to curl up in a ball to sleep forever starting to pervade itself through his body. He rubbed his forehead again and flinched when he felt a familiar pair of slender hands touching his shoulders.

"Corrin? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Azura," he replied, looking up at the shining expanse of gold. "Let's do this."

Embossed across the doors was a life-sized oak tree, the branches and leaves of which formed an arching canopy with what appeared to be scratches carved into each leaf. Sprouting from either side of the trunk's midsections were two thicker bundles of branches, which dived the space within the make-shift circle into thirds. In the top-left quarter was a carving of what appeared to be Nohrian Calvary riders galloping intensely through a dark and convoluted forest, their weapons raised over their heads and mouths open in preparation to utter some sort of war cry. In the top-right was what-appeared to be two samurai staring squarely into each other's eyes, the tip of each samurai's sword buried within the chest of the other. In the bottom, Vallites scholars—it had to be Vallites—huddled in the corner of some forgotten library, their eyes flickering over the texts of the book they each held in their hands. And in the center, coiled in the very center of the bole of the tree was a dragon that curled the end of its tail around its head.

The doors were beautifully crafted, and under different circumstances, Corrin would've been content to sit and study them for most of a day. As it was, the sight of the shining doors filled him with a cold feeling he hadn't felt since the day in the Shirasagi Castle Town, when he saw Azura lying prone on the ground, gasping for breath.

It was fear.

Corrin blinked in surprise as he realized the scratches carved into the leaves of the tree weren't scratches at all, but rather names. Save for couple of leaves reading  _Anankos, , Theophilus, Arete, and Azura,_  the rest were all scratched out or blurred by time.

"It's the Vallite Royal Family Tree," Azura explained. "I…I never thought it would remain so…so  _undamaged_.

"Azura…your name's on here," he murmured, still looking over the tree.

"Of course it is," came the soft reply. "I'm a Vallite princess, am I not?"

Azura's eyes widened in shock as her eyes rested on a familiar name. "Wait—Corrin, look! Your name's on here too!"

Corrin frowned. "What? No—that's impossible! I'm not a Vallite!"

"But yet, you are," said a woman's voice sadly from behind them.

They all instantly turned around, unsheathing and training their weapons at the woman standing behind them.

Takumi lowered Fujin Yumi. "Mother?" he blurted.

"Mother!" Sakura ran forward, her arms wide open before Ryoma harshly pulled her back.

"Don't!" he admonished. "We don't know if this is a trap or not."

"Hello, my children," Mikoto said, spreading her arms apart. "It's so good to see you again. I see Corrin managed to lead you through my traps unharmed."

Corrin stepped forward, Yato unsheathed. "I thought you said we were supposed to meet Anankos last, most trusted servant."

Mikoto nodded sadly. "Yes, you were, but before you open those doors, there's something I must tell you."

She reached out towards Corrin, but after a moment's hesitation, drew her hand back as if she's been burned.

"Do you remember about what your father told you about the betrothal between you and Azura?"

Corrin nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, there was another reason besides political and economic reasons. The truth is…I am a Vallite princess as well."

"You're  _what_?" The words were out before Corrin could stop. He stared at his mother. In disbelief.

"How…how can this be? Does...does that mean that we're..." Corrin glanced at Azura, and to his surprise, the only sign of surprise written on her face was a slight lifting of her eyebrows.

Mikoto sighed. "Yes. You and Azura are cousins."

As if to accentuate her words, she waved her arm towards the golden family tree beset into the doors behind them. A leaf suddenly started to shine brighter than the rest. Corrin squinted at the leaf and realized that on it was scratched the name  _Mikoto,_ and directly below it, next to Azura's name, was  _Kamui_ , Corrin's birth name

Corrin's jaw dropped. Ryoma and Xander both gave each other a look of surprise. Elise somehow stopped jumping up and down in excitement as she noticed the silent shock spreading across the group. Takumi clenched Fuji Yumi closer to his body, the tips of his ears turning red as Leo looked on in his usual manner of aloof disinterest, though the fact that he snapped the covers of Bryhildr together meant he was just as surprised as the rest of them.

Corrin turned on Azura. "Did you know?"

The question was short, curt, and to the point. Azura's stepped backward involuntarily. Rare was the time he was angry, but when he was, it was unmistakeable.

"…No," she finally answered. "I didn't know."

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "And how am I supposed to believe you?"

"Because I never told her," Mikoto said sadly.

"Queen Arete, Azura's mother, was my sister," she continued. "After we arrived in Hoshido and Nohr, respectively, we soon discovered about the curse Anankos put on Valla's name. If you say Valla's name outside of it, then—"

"—then you'll turn into water and die," Azura finished.

"We know," Corrin said. "It's what took us so long to unite Nohr and Hoshido."

Mikoto's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and her hands moved to cover her mouth. "So you actually did it? You really managed to unite Hoshido and Nohr together?"

"Uh, sort of," Takumi said, being the first one to overcome his shock. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I thought you knew? Does Anankos not tell you anything?"

Mikoto bit her lips. "Well, I purposefly withheld information from myself, since he's able to access the memories of all under his thrall. Had I found out that you were actually successful in uniting Hoshido and Nohr, I would've been powerless to stop him from knowing.

She opened her mouth to continue, but after a moment's hesitation, closed it again and choked down the words she had been about to say. "Beyond that…I can't tell you anything."

"Why not?" Corrin asked, irritated at hearing those same words again. "Don't tell me that you're going to pull a page out of Azura's book and not tell me anything about myself."

Mikoto pursed her lips. "You shouldn't be so angry towards her, Corrin. I can vouch for her

"What  _can_  you tell us then?"

"I can tell you about the way the nobles and common folk treated me after I became queen of Hoshido," she said. Mikoto looked at Azura, sadness deep within her eyes.

"Oh, my dear Azura. I remember all the times you cried in your room about how unfair the other nobles in Hoshido treated you. The suspicious glares thrown your way, and the dirty slurs uttered under their breath whenever they were sure only you could hear them. I know how—"

"I know," Azura replied. "I remember you not doing anything." She cringed at how harshly the words came out. "Er—actually, sorry. That was a bit harsh. What I meant was I remember you not being able to do much at the time."

"You have to understand, I  _wanted_  to help you!" Mikoto wailed. "You reminded me so much about me and my own sister's own court life, the abuse and distrust of those around me! I  _wanted_  to help you, to tell you who I really was, but—"

"—but the curse got in the way," Azura finished. "I know.

"W-wait, what do you mean they mistreated you?" Corrin asked. " _Why_  did they mistreat you?"

Mikoto sniffed. "You have to understand, that nobody knew about my history as being a Vallite princess. To the commoners, I was little more than a lucky woman who caught Sumeragi's eye and took me in as a concubine. To the nobles, they believed that I had seduced him into letting me take power away from them."

Mikoto sighed and looked down. "Sumeragi—despite his personality—was smart, but more importantly, well-versed in the art of politics, almost as much as I was When he took me in, he said nothing to the general public. Publicly, I didn't exist, and even if I did, no one would've noticed nor cared. Even though I later married him, it was only until his death and people started asking questions about who the next ruler should be when it people started to notice me."

"What did they do?" Azura asked.

Mikoto glanced at Azura guiltily. "Everything they did to you, but worse. They knew they had the popular support. They could afford to take a few casualties here and there, whereas since you were always so naturally…reserved. Only a select few could see you, and if you ever felt unsafe or insulted by them, it would've been an infinitely easier task to track down one noble among a court of fifty people, than a dozen men among an entire nation."

Azura blinked in surprise. "I…I didn't know."

Mikoto sighed again. "I know. There's a lot of things you don't know about me. Like my relationship with your mother, for example."

Corrin hissed, cat-like. "So you never told Azura about us. About how we were cousins by blood."

Azura glanced at Corrin out the corner of her eye and looked at Mikoto with a pained expression. "Looking back, I could understand why you never said anything to the other nobles. You needed to keep our relationship a secret, and the secret of our bloodline even more so. But could you really not have written everything down on a note or something and passed it to me? The curse only works if you say Valla's name verbally."

"That's what your mother thought too!" Mikoto wailed.

Azura frowned. "E-excuse me? What…what do you mean?"

"She thought she could circumvent the curse by writing down Valla's name on a piece of paper. You know what happened next."

"How did you know she wrote down Valla's name?" Azura asked. "She never told me—well, actually, I suppose if she actually did, it would've been impossible for her to—"

"But she told me!" Mikoto wailed. "The night she died, she sent me a message telling me what she planned to do. She was going to write down everything about Valla and our situation before passing it along to someone who she could trust. I begged,  _begged_ , her to use a different method, but she wouldn't listen and she paid the price for it!"

Mikoto's voice choked in her throat as she stared down at her hand, which was slowly reaching forward towards Corrin and Azura. A bow spontaneously appeared, and with it, a quiver of arrows on her back. She looked at the weapon in terror.

"Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"I'm…so…so sorry. Anankos has found out about my betrayal," she said, tears continuing to flow over her eyes. "And so he's decided to punish me in the most horrific of ways."

Corrin frowned. "W-what do you mean? What are you doing?"

Her arm stiff, Mikoto nocked an arrow to the bowstring. "Anankos has decided to take personal control over my body, yet allows my thoughts and words to remain my own, even as my body is forced to follow his will. He's forcing me to watch as I strike down my own son and niece, while I remain helpless to do anything."

"I thought you said she could act independently!" Takumi shouted towards Corrin.

Corrin looked between his brother and mother, lost. Behind Corrin, Hinoka and Sakura covered their mouths in horror. Ryoma closed his eyes and looked away. Xander, Leo, and Camilla's fists were all clenched. Elise hugged Azura fearfully, as Azura stared intensely towards the raven-haired woman in front of Corrin, her eyes never moving, never blinking. Corrin noticed how loosely Raijinto and Siegfried hung in their owner's sheaths.

"I-I…"

"It's alright, Corrin," Mikoto said gently, though tears continued to stream down her face. "I know what you have to do, and please, trust me when I say that I won't be angry at you."

"I'm sorry, mother," Corrin said. "I'll…I'll try to make it as quick and painless as possible."

Ryoma and Xander both started. "What? What are you talking about?" Ryoma asked.

Corrin opened his mouth to reply but froze as an arrow suddenly carved a brand new trench through his hair. The arrow embedded itself with a  _thunk_  in the door behind Corrin. He shakily raised his hand to feel the groove carved into his hair.

Mikoto gritted her teeth as she grimaced. "Please, Corrin!" she begged. "You have to kill me! I can't resist Anankos' will any longer! He's still trying to learn how to properly control my body, but once he figures out how to, there's no way you can stop him!"

Corrin swallowed, hard, and raised Yato. "I'm sorry, Mother. I truly am."

Mikoto gave him a pained smile. "I know."

Walking as if he was a doomed man with all of the world's burdens on his shoulders, Corrin strode purposefully towards Mikoto, pausing only to sidestep an arrow. He stopped in front of Mikoto and raised Yato in preparation for the fatal stab. Too slowly, too clunkily, Mikoto legs forced her away from Corrin, only for him to shove Yato through her abdomen.

She screamed, a terrible keening sound that was sure to haunt Corrin's nightmares for the rest of his life as Yato slid effortlessly out of his mother's body. The bow dissipated into water, along with the arrows and quiver, as she fell onto the floor, her arms splayed out beside her.

Yato dropped to the floor, covered in blood as Corrin cradled her in his arms. As if a spell had been broken, everyone crowded around the two of them. Ryoma, Takumi Sakura, Azura, and Hinoka shoved their way to front, with Reina and Orochi close behind.

"Mother?"

Mikoto weakly raised a hand to cup Corrin's cheek. "I'm…so sorry for trying to kill you. I should've been stronger for you. I should've tried to warn you beforehand."

Corrin covered her hand with his own. "I know. I know how all of this is Anankos' fault, how it was his power that brought you back, yet how It controlled you."

Mikoto chuckled, a short bark of laughter that contained no mirth. "And here I was hoping that I could resist him. I'm a fool. I've been a terrible mother."

She met Corrin's eyes. "Can you forgive me?"

Corrin frowned. "Forgive you for what?"

"For all but abandoning you to Nohr. For trying to force you to adjust to your old life, before you were kidnapped. For not telling you about your true heritage. For leaving you alone in this cruel world, to deal with Anankos."

"No, it's fine," he replied, struggling to hide the tears welling in his own eyes. "I never hated you for those things, and I never will. Though I'll admit the bit about me actually being Vallite royalty caught me off-guard."

Beside him, Sakura tried to hide a sob in her sleeve, but failed. Mikoto's tear-filled eyes wandered over to her youngest daughter.

"Oh, come here, Sakura," she crooned. "I've missed you!"

Sakura bit back another sob as she tried to wipe her face free of tears. She gave Mikoto a tear-stained smile before she suddenly dove forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders, ignoring the blood seeping into her dress. Mikoto blinked, surprised, before wrapping her own hands around her daughter's back.

"It's so good to see you again," she whispered. "You've grown so big and beautiful the last time I saw you! Your smile is so beautiful now—I almost forgotten what it looked like."

Sakura smiled again. Mikoto wiped a stray tear line away from her cheek with a finger as she caressed her daughter's cheek. "Promise me one thing, Sakura."

"One thing?" Sakura squeaked.

"One thing," Mikoto affirmed. "Don't worry, it's not hard," she added on after Sakura hesitated

"W-what do you want me to do?" Sakura asked.

Mikoto smiled back. "I want you to smile more."

"That's…that's it?"

Mikoto nodded. "You are the flower that brings everyone joy. Your smile is a radiant sunshine on everyone's moods, and—"

Whatever words she meant to say were drowned as Sakura threw her arms again around her. Takumi and Hinoka soon joined her. Ryoma and Azura stood back, though judging by their solemn expressions, it was clear they too wished to join their siblings, but couldn't. Corrin managed to extricate him a split second before Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura buried his mother with tears and hugs before settling down next to Azura. He gently squeezed her hand. To his relief, she squeezed back.

"Don't think I forgot about you two," came Mikoto's muffled voice. Flushed, Takumi and Hinoka both hastily withdrew.

"I-I'm so sorry mother," Hinoka apologized. "We're…we're just so happy—"

"No need to apologize, Hinoka," Mikoto said gently. "I'm just afraid I won't be able to spend any more time addressing each of you individually."

"It's okay," Takumi said, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. "We're all just so happy to see you again."

Behind him, Ryoma shuffled. "You were gone so quickly," he said in his deep voice. "And so much has happened since. We never had anytime to grieve for your death. Could you ever forgive us?"

Mikoto sighed. "Of course I forgive you, Ryoma. Why wouldn't I?"

Ryoma shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. "I…I don't know if there's enough time in the world for it to pass by before we can finally accept your death as it is. I just…I just wish you could've seen what we accomplished."

"Oh, but I did!" Mikoto replied. "You united Nohr and Hoshido, an in a matter of a months, too! It took me and my sister nearly half our lives to convince the other side to stop stabbing each other, but it only took you and Prince Xander less than a year!"

"Actually, Corrin did most of that," Takumi admitted guiltily. "In all honesty, while  _some_  of us wanted to go to war with Nohr," he cast a pointed glance towards Hinoka, "I'm glad we didn't."

"And why's that?" Mikoto asked teasingly. "Have you found someone… _special_  to you?"

Takumi's face flushed a brilliant red. "W-what? No! It's just…It's just some of them could be pretty nice."

"Can you say that again, Takumi? You sort of trailed off there at the end."

"I said that some of them were pretty nice!" Takumi snapped. His eyes widened. "Oh gods, I'm  _so_  sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Mikoto chuckled softly. "It's alright," she said gently. "I was only teasing you. And what about you, Hinoka? What do you feel about Nohr?"

Hinoka shrugged. "I'm with Takumi with this one. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting all of our Nohrian allies to be so…  _un-Nohrian_."

"Lies often twist and disrupt visions of reality," Mikoto sighed. "Trust me, I would know, since I'm no stranger to them."

The conversation between her and the rest of her children faded into the background as Corrin pulled Azura away from the voices by her arm.

"Don't lie to me this time," he said, pressing her back against a pillar. "Did you know?"

"Corrin…" Azura said.

"Don't 'Corrin,' me," he replied. "I know its hard for you to tell other people your secrets, and I've always let you keep that habit, but this is one where I can't ignore. This isn't something you can keep to yourself!  _Did you know about us being cousins or not?_ "

Azura sighed and averted her gaze towards Mikoto. Corrin's red eyes followed hers. "No." she whispered. "I never knew. She never told me anything about my mother other than she once knew her well enough to call her a friend. She said a lot of cryptic things that only a Vallite would know, so I knew she had  _some_  Vallite ties, and with her relationship of my sister, I assumed that she simply knew her, but she never said that my mother was her sister."

Corrin released his grip. "Are you sure you're not lying?"

Azura nodded. "Yes."

"Swear to me that you're telling me the truth."

"I swear," she said instantly. "I swear on my life that I am telling you the truth about how I never knew about the fact that we were cousins."

Corrin sighed. "Alright then," he said, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I know this isn't exactly the best time, but while we're here…what's going to become of us?"

Azura frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What's going to happen to us? I mean, we're cousins, and I heard before that that sort of relationship between family is looked down upon. What're we going to do once, you know, this whole thing is over? Assuming we win and survive, of course."

"First off," she started. "We  _will_  win. We've come too far just to accept defeat. Second, marriages between cousins are only looked down upon among commoners," she explained. "Commoners couldn't do that for a…multitude of reasons, but it was common among the higher classes to marry their children off to their cousins, in order to carry on the royal bloodline.

Corrin's lips pursed. "Yes, but—"

"And we  _are_ both Vallite royalty now, so that's considered acceptable in most places," she quipped, trying to lighten the tension.

"That's not funny," Corrin growled, his voice suddenly angry. "What are we going to do? I love you, but it just doesn't feel sit right with me to love you  _that_  way while all the while knowing that we're practically family."

Azura's mind was racing. If she said the wrong thing, everything would be over. Part of her was screaming that now was possibly the worst time to talk about this topic, the other part was screaming over the first part that if she didn't fix this whole situation now, she might as well let Anankos win, right then and there.

"I…" She closed her eyes, trying to find the right words to say.

Meanwhile, Corrin crossed his arms as he ran his eyes over Azura's features, trying to discern her thoughts. It wasn't easy, giving how secretive she was, but the amount of time it took for her to reply either meant she was trying to psych herself up to tell him the bad news, or she was trying to find the right words that could get them both out of this mess. Corrin fervently hoped it was the latter.

"What do you want?" she asked suddenly.

Corrin blinked. "What…do I want?"

"Yes." Azura's eyes slowly fluttered open. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm…I'm not sure," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "On one hand, part of me just can't wrap my head around the fact that we're cousins. On the other hand…well…"

Azura braced herself. Normally, it was Corrin who wore his heart on his sleeve, not her. But if she didn't tell him what they needed to hear, then nothing between them would ever be the same. She lifted Corrin's chin, and he flinched at the contact.

"That's not what I was asking. Answer the question:  _what. Do. You. Want?._ "

Corrin opened his mouth to reply, shut it again, and opened it again while rubbing the back of his head.

"Corrin, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't…let's say, _attracted_ , to you from the very first moment we met at that lake," Azura said. "Who cares if we're cousins? Like I said, we're both royalty, and such practices are common among royals. You're part dragon, and yet I still fell for you. What does being your cousin change then?"

"Those are two completely different—"

"Whatever happens, either today, or after today, I believe it was our fate to meet each other. To fall in love. To defeat Anankos. I believe that we were destined to be tied together from the very beginning, and what holds us together will be stronger than anything else in the world. I just have this feeling in me that somehow, I've always loved you, and I always will. But if you truly don't feel comfortable, tell me. I will never force you into a situation you don't like. All you need to tell me is: What do you want to do?"

Corrin blinked and pushed his hair back. "Wow," he said simply. "And here I thought I was the one who was overly dramatic when it came to professing my love." His tone was lighter than before, but Azura continued to hold her breath. She would only release it once this was settled.

Corrin looked her in the eyes. "I…love you too Azura. I will stay by your side. I love you like nothing else in the world, and nothing will tear us apart."

Azura released the breath.

"But promise me one thing," he said, raising a finger.

Azura's heart jumped.

"No. More. Secrets," he said. "Alright?"

Azura swallowed her nervousness. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell you everything you want to know about me…"

Corrin smiled.

"… _after_  the war," she finished. "We're not out of this yet."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. We'll talk about this later,  _after_  we kill Anankos, though, I'm sure. But just saying though, you know everyone's going to be talking about us after—"

Whatever words he was about to say choked and died in his throat as Orochi and Reina suddenly both let out a loud sob. Mikoto suddenly grimaced, yelped in pain as she wrapped her hand around the wound on her abdomen. Corrin and Azura looked at each other and ran over.

"Mother? Are you alright? S-should I fetch my healing staff?" Sakura asked concernedly.

Mikoto waved her hand dismissively and coughed. "No…no need," she said weakly. "I know I'm dying. There's nothing you can do to save me now."

Takumi's brow furrowed. "Wh—bu—we can't just let you  _die_  here!" he stammered.

Mikoto looked at him. "I'm…I'm afraid you'll have to. Time is something you can't afford to lose right now, and I'm afraid I've overstayed my welcome."

She turned towards Corrin. "Corrin," she called. "Do you still have Yato?"

"O-of course," he replied. "Why?"

Mikoto smiled. "I just want to let you know that I will always believe in you. I believe you'll find the courage and strength to overthrow Anankos and bring peace to this world."

Corrin swallowed. "That's…a pretty tall order."

Mikoto laughed as her skin slowly turned watery clear. "Trust me, I know. Just remember though, what I told you today. About your heritage."

"I will."

"I'm sorry I threw such a wrench into you and Azura's—"

"It's fine," they both said at the same time. They glanced at each other, and looked away, blushing.

"We already figured it out," Azura said, smiling.

Mikoto's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Truly? Well then, I guess we were right in having the two of you betrothed."

Corrin grinned.

Mikoto's eyes drifted towards the ceiling. "I'm afraid my time in this world is at an end."

Corrin's grin faded. "Wait, wait, wait wait wait, what?"

"It's…it's been an honor to serve under you, Queen—er, Mikoto," Orochi choked. Reina nodded silently in agreement.

"Likewise, Orochi. Likewise, Reina," Mikoto managed to gasp as the tips of her fingers and legs slowly turned translucent.

"W-wait, not yet!" Sakura sobbed again. "We just got you back!"

"Don't go!" Takumi pleaded.

"I'm so sorry that I have to leave now," Mikoto replied, her voice thick. "I'm just so happy to see…to see all of you again. Remember what I said, Corrin. Anankos' last line of defense awaits you in the throne room. Be careful. Do whatever you have to do, and above all else, survive."

"Mother!"

"I'm…so glad to see you all again…"

"Mother!"

"…"

"Mother?"

No response. A pulsing orb of light blue light suddenly revealed itself to the rest of the group as it rose out of Mikoto's body. As they watched in awe, the orb drifted upwards towards the ceiling, whereupon it vanished upon touching the rock, bursting like a bubble. The instant the orb disappeared, Mikoto's body sagged, turned clear, and disintegrated completely into water.

Hinoka and Sakura clutched at each other and sobbed silently into each other's shoulders as Ryoma and Takumi stared mutely at where their mother had just lied. Corrin collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head, ignoring the water dripping down his arms. Azura rested a hand on Corrin's shoulder, though it was obvious by her shaking that she was also struggling to hold back the wave of emotions that had threatened him and the rest of his siblings. To her relief, Corrin did not shake off her hand, though he did flinch at her touch.

Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, and the rest of the Nohrians in the group shuffled uneasily. As for the Hoshidan retainers, all of them knelt and bowed their heads as they muttered their last prayers towards the deceased queen, Orochi and Reina most prominent among them.

After what felt like an eternity of kneeling there, Corrin pushed himself back up to his feet, allowing Azura to help him. He looked at Azura, not bothering to hide the fact that he was crying, though the tears were drying already. For the first time in her life, Azura saw a hard edge in his eyes. For the second time in his life, Corrin knew what he had to do with an unshakable conviction.

"Now?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Now."

He strode over to the doors. The sight of the shining doors before him filled with dread as he sheathed Yato and willed his arms to transform into two giant, gaping dragon maws. As he prepared to force the doors open, he looked back towards Azura and the group.

"I'm not ready," he said. The statement was directed towards Azura and Azura only, but the message it carried pervaded throughout the entire group.

"If you're not ready now, when will we ever be ready?" Leo replied, her voice tense. "We  _have_  to kill Anankos, and we are the only ones who might be able to do it."

"But what if we can't?" Corrin asked again, his voice slightly echoing, courtesy of the dragon head resting on his shoulders.

Azura rested a hand on his shoulders. "Then we can't, and what will be, will be."

Corrin nodded, nearly bashing Azura over the head with his antlers.

"...I love you, Azura."

"I love you too...Corrin."

Corrin glanced back at the crown of white silhouettes behind him. "We should probably form up. We'll need to be ready in case there's any guards. Just in case."

Everyone nodded as they arranged themselves in a formation suitable for battle. Leaning away, Corrin pulled and pulled, and slowly, the massive structure began to swing outward. No one human, Azura was sure, could've opened it, and even then, Corrin's strength in his partial-dragon form was barely sufficient.

When the door reached the wall, Corrin released, and then he joined Azura, Ryoma and Xander at the front of the group.

"I'll head in first," Corrin said.

Ryoma frowned. " _What_? Are you out of your mind? This is Anankos'  _throne_  room, if you don't remember. He's sure to be more powerful than any of us."

"Do you really think you can take him on by yourself?" Xander added.

Corrin shook his head. "No, I can't but that's why I wanted all of the members of the royal family here. Remember how the Rainbow Sage said something about only Yato being able to truly hurt him?"

They all nodded, remembering the advice the dragon had given them. Despite that journey taking place almost two months ago, everyone knew what they had to do to defeat Anankos."

"Wouldn't it make more sense if I was to open the fight with Yato? If I don't open it with a strike from Yato, the rest of you might not even be able to hurt him."

"Plus, with my song, I might even be able to further weaken him," Azura chimed in.

"I see, I see," Ryoma replied.

"Very well then, little prince," Xander said. "If you truly believe it's worth it to start off by you and Azura weakening Anankos for the rest of us, we'll be right behind you."

Corrin swallowed his nervousness as he strode forward. "Thank you."

He took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."


	16. Chapter 16

 

* * *

On the other side of the cavernous archway was a huge, dark chamber. Even Corrin, with his odd draconic vision, was unsure of its size, for the walls lay hidden in velvet shadows. A line of dim torches mounted on walls ran straight out from either side of the entrance way, illuminating the patterned floor, the dusty rock walls, and little else. The two rows of lanterns ended over five hundred feet away, near the base of a broad dais, upon which rested a throne, made of stone, though whoever sat upon it would undoubtedly be half as forgiving. The shadows were too dark even for Corrin to see past a couple of yards, much less see who—or what—was sitting on the throne.

In front of the dais, in front of the first step, embedded upright into a stone pedestal, rested a single dark, twisted sword. Corrin watched nervously as waves of fell energy pulsed around it.

The appearance of the weapon unsettled Corrin, and he felt the dragon with him growl uneasily. Everything about that sword felt… _wrong_ , yet also familiar.

Corrin swallowed and tightened his grip on Yato. He quickly squeezed Azura's hand. She squeezed his in return. Then, by unspoken consent, the group started forward.

The moment everyone's feet passed through the massive golden doors, the doors swung shut with an ominous  _boom_. Azura had expected as much, but all the same, she and Corrin flinched at the sound

"Well, I guess that was expected," Leo said dryly.

Corrin nodded silently and continued forward, both afraid and determined. It was a long walk, long enough that Corrin had time to consider a number of strategies, most of which he discarded or considered as impractical or useless. He knew strength alone would not be the deciding factor between him and Anankos; it would require cunning as well, and that was perhaps the one thing he felt most lacked.

Still, they had no choice but to confront Anankos.

The two rows of lanterns that led to the dais were wide enough so that if needed, they could spread out. For that, Corrin was glad, since it meant he would be able to fight alongside his brothers and sisters, and of course, Azura.

As they approached the throne, Azura continued to study the chamber around them. It was, she thought, definitely a strange room for a king to receive guests in, even if the rightful ruler probably died decades ago. Aside from the dim path that lay before them, most of the space was hidden within impenetrable gloom—even more so than the tunnels and dungeons under Castle Gyges—and the air contained a dry, musky scent that seemed familiar to her, even though she could not place it.

"Where are the guards?" she said in an undertone.

Corrin's ears twitched. "I don't know. I don't hear anything."

As they were perhaps thirty feet from the dais, the torches on the walls suddenly flared brighter. Everyone covered their eyes to prevent from being blinded by the sudden light. Corrin blindly waved Yato towards the throne.

"Anankos!" he shouted. "Your time has co—wait, wait, what?"

Just as quickly as the torches had flared up, the intense light suddenly died down to a much more moderate level, revealing the throne, and—

"There's…no one here?" Xander asked. Siegfried slowly lowered to the ground.

"What's the meaning of this?" Gunter asked. He savagely turned on Azura. "I thought you said this was the throne room!"

"It is!" Azura retorted. "M-maybe he's just hiding somewhere in here."

"No," Leo said curtly, snapping Brynhildr shut. "I just cast a spell designed to locate life. There's nobody in here but us. The room is empty."

"That can't be right," Corrin said. He sheathed Yato and scratched the back of his head. "If he's not here, then where could—"

Corrin's ears twitched and his eyes widened. The dragon within him growled again as he felt his foot sink  _ever_   _so slightly_  into the ground.

"Everyone!  _Move!_ "

He tackled Azura and pushed her to the ground, out of the way, as a deafening  _boom_  echoed around the chamber. As one, everyone—save for Corrin and Azura—collapsed to their knees, weapons dropping to the ground. Armor creaked and people gasped in pain.

"No!"

Corrin rushed towards Xander and Ryoma, who were at the foremost of the pack, before an invisible force shot him backward. His head shifted into its draconic counterpart a split second before the back of his head hit the edge of the first step. If he hadn't partially transformed just then, the blow would've killed him.

"Corrin!"

Azura ran over to him and shakily helped him up. "Are you alright?"

Corrin waved his hand towards the group. "I'm…fine. We need to help the others!" With a flash of light, the draconic head on his shoulders vanished only to be replaced with a look of pure desperation as he threw himself towards his friends again.

This time, Azura caught Corrin's wrist and managed to stop him.

"Don't!" she pleaded. "We can't do anything!"

Corrin scowled and shook her hands off his shoulder. "I have to! They're our family! Ryoma! Xander! Are you all alright?"

The Nohrian crown prince grimaced as he forced himself to his knees, only to fall flat on his stomach again. "Can't…move…" he croaked.

Corrin ran up to them, but this time stopped before he got too close. This time, he noticed a thin, transparent barrier in front of him, words in some unknown language flitting across it at a speed too fast for Corrin to even understand. The barrier ran across the length of the chamber, creating a box of sorts around Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, Elise, and the rest of the group.

"Ryoma! How about you?"

The samurai grunted as he propped his elbow up only for it to fall back down. "I feel…so…heavy."

Corrin looked at Leo, who was laying prone next to Takumi and Sakura. "Leo, what was that? Do you know? Can you answer?"

"Gravity…magic, yes, and yes," the Nohrian prince croaked.

Azura frowned. "Gravity magic? But…that's impossible. That art's been lost for millennia! The amount of strength you'll need…"

He stooped down to pick up a pebble off the floor and dropped it. He repeated it again. And again, before tossing the pebble into the barrier. To his surprise, the rock managed to penetrate the transparent barrier, whereupon it promptly flung itself into the ground, much harder and faster than before, leaving a tiny indent in the floor.

"Huh."

Corrin carefully back away from the barrier as he wracked his head for ideas. If he couldn't find a way to turn off or otherwise circumvent this gravity spell, then this whole endeavor would be doomed. As he thought, Gunter managed to force himself to his knees, where upon he planted his hands down in front of him, gasping deeply.

"Why…weren't you two…attacked?" Takumi croaked.

Corrin frowned. "What?" He looked around and to his surprise, Takumi's word rang true. Only Azura and him were spared from the attack.

"I knew it!" Gunter declared. He managed to point towards the couple as everyone turned their heads as much as they could towards the old knight. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Azura asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, you filthy blood-traitor!" Gunter spat. "You're the spy! You're the traitor! You were the one who killed Scarlet!"

"Shut  _up!_ " Leo growled. "How many times do I have to—"

"Wait a minute, Leo," Xander said. "As much…as I hate to listen to this vitriol," he shot a sympathetic look towards Azura, "we can't afford to take any chances…especially now since we're so close to the end." He turned his head to look at Gunter. "Gunter…tell us why you think Azura is the spy. If we think your reasoning acceptable, then we shall deal with her  _after_  this is over."

"Xander!" Elise protested. "You…can't possibly be—"

"I'm not," Xander said curtly. "But if there's…even a  _chance_ —"

"It's not just Azura, milord!" Gunter said. "As much as it may pain us both to say it, but I suspect Lord Corrin may be one of them!"

"Alright, now  _that_  is…hard to believe," Xander grunted.

"Thanks," Azura deadpanned.

"You're…you're taking this too far, Gunter!" Corrin said. "Stop this. Now!"

"No, no!  _Listen_  to me," Gunter insisted. "It all makes sense! Azura is of Vallite birth, that much has been known since the start, but didn't Mikoto—Lord Corrin's own  _birth mother_ —say that he was also of Vallite royalty?"

"Well, when you…put  _that_  way…" Leo admitted. "I…guess I can see where you're coming from?"

Corrin was shocked. "Leo!"

Leo grimaced. "B-but I refuse to—nng!—believe such slander against my brother!" he added.

"But…but Corrin sat on the Hoshidan throne of truth!" Hinoka said. "He didn't change—"

"The Hoshidan throne of truth was gifted to Hoshido by  _Valla_ ," Gunter continued. Guess what? They're both Vallites! Not only are they Vallites, but they're also Vallite royalty! Of course their throne wouldn't change their appearance! It was  _made_  by them,  _for_  them. Tell us,  _Lord_  Corrin, where do your loyalties lie? Is it with Nohr? With Hoshido? Or is it our god, Anankos?"

"You can't be serious, Gunter!" Azura protested. "Corrin's done nothing but—"

"Quiet, Azura," Ryoma glowered. "I want to hear this."

"What…are you saying?" Corrin asked dangerously. "And why are you talking so strangely? It's almost like you're…not yourself."

Gunter's eyes fell downward "I'm sorry, I truly am, Corrin, but my loyalties are to Nohr. I wish I could remain loyal to you as well, but how am I supposed to justify helping you destroy the world and destroy both kingdoms?"

Regret tinged his voice. "After that Chevois woman's death—"

"Her name…was…Scarlet!" Ryoma almost shouted.

"After  _Scarlet's_  death," Gunter hastily corrected, "I suspected that there was a turncoat amongst us, a notion Lord Ryoma also shared. At first, I thought the spy was possibly one of Anankos' servants. His servants can take the form of anybody who was slain by his will, and if there was a stray foot soldier killed in the action when we first entered Valla, we would never know. I never thought that it would be you two."

"W-wait, Gunter! Does that mean…does that mean Big Brother's dead?" Elise asked, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks.

Gunter tried to turn his head to face the Nohrian princess. "Unfortunately, milady."

"What? That's impossible!" said Takumi.

"I agree!" Corrin shouted. "I think I have more authority than you when it comes to determining whether or not I'm dead. Gunter, you were like a father to me! How can you say these things about me when you know they're not true?"

Gunter's words seemed to have choked in his throat for a split second. Xander struggled to his knees, only for him to sink back to the floor, the gravity spell still in effect.

"This is madness!" he grunted. "Explain yourself, Gunter!"

Gunter cleared his throat. "No, it's not madness. This was their plan, all along, wasn't it,  _Corrin_? You two have worked so hard to gather the royal families from Hoshido and Nohr. They brought them together, to Valla, so that it would be easier to eliminate them!"

Gunter's pronouncement hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush a man to death, though not as heavy as Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and everyone else caught in the gravity spell felt.

Xander opened his mouth and closed, creating a stunning imitation of a goldfish—albeit a goldfish that had just woken up to discover that it was on dry land instead of a fishbowl. Ryoma silently shook his head, trying to find the words to offer up as a rebuttal but failing. Leo stared at Azura and Corrin, his snark failing him for once.

Instead, they, and the other royals and retainers, instinctively looked at Corrin and Azura, both of whom were pale as they stepped backwards in shock. The two accused exchanged looks.

 _How do we get out of this?_ Corrin's eyes asked.

 _I…I don't know,_  was the answer he received.

"That…that's not true! Gunter, stop! Stop this before I—"

"Before you what?" Gunter jeered. "Kill us?"

"What? N-no! I won't kill you! I'm not the traitor!  _We're_  not the traitor!"

"It's a trap! It was all a Vallite ploy! Corrin has betrayed us!"

Corrin tried to protest again, but was shut down when slender hands wrapped around his shoulders and pushed him back.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

_Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach..._

_Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

_The path is yours to climb…"_

"Azura—?"

" _A burdened heart, sinks into the ground…_

_A veil fails away, without a sound,_

_Not day nor night, wrong nor right…_

_For truth and peace you fight…"_

Gunter groaned and suddenly clutched his head in his hands as he rolled about on the floor. "Stop that! Stop that song!"

He rolled over to face Xander and Ryoma. "See? She's trying to kill me! Stop her!"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "What? Her song?"

"You…do know that that song was responsible for stopping the fighting between Ryoma and I, right, Gunter?"

Corrin's eyes flitted between the two, his mind racing.

* * *

" _Scar…let? The name doesn't sound familiar. Is she the Chevois wyvern rider with the flower pinned to her chest?"_

* * *

" _What's that? What are you doing, Scarlet?"_

" _Oh, nothing much. It's just an old Chevois custom. Whenever one of us faces some huge, monumental event, its tradition to pin on a flower." Satisfied with her appearance, Scarlet turned to grab her axe before teasingly patting Corrin on his cheek._

_Startled, he stumbled backwards._

" _You're a special bud, Lord Corrin. Getting everybody to follow you is quite something, but not as special as Lord Ryoma!"_

* * *

"I AM THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON. THE BETRAYED KING. THE ENTOMBED GOD. IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU…TO DEATH! _"_

" _Corrin! Watch out!"_

_Scarlet angled her fall so that she was directly between Corrin and the purple figure. She managed to grab Corrin's wrist as flung him above her. Undeterred, the figure continued through with its blow, carving a clean line through her torso, hip to shoulder._

_Corrin watched, wide-eyed, as the flower burst into purple flame before just as quickly turning into ash and dust. Scarlet fell past him, her eyes dull and open._

" _Scarlet!_ No! _"_

* * *

" _The flower on her chest plate…it's been burned away."_

_Xander frowned and turned to look at Corrin and Azura whispering among themselves. "What are you talking about?"_

" _We were the last ones to jump," Corrin explained. "So nobody—wait, Ryoma!"_

* * *

" _My apologies, Lord Leo." Gunter stooped his back in a respectful bow. "My apologies, Lady Azura. And most of all, my apologies to you, Lord Corrin. It's simply that the sight of that flower pinned to that Chevois woman's chest as it burned away…I think its safe to say that no one wants to see you meet same fate, milord."_

* * *

Corrin's eyes snapped open. "I got it!"

In the distance, Corrin could hear Gunter shouting about something, though the sounds of his guttural voice was nothing compared to the sound of Azura's singing and his most recent revelation.

"You're wrong, Gunter," Corrin said, looking down at his  _former_  retainer with something close to regret. "I'm not the spy. I would never betray my family, even if one kidnapped me from the others."

"That's all you have to say?" Gunter asked. "Please, don't lie to us, Corrin. It's hard enough to watch you betray us without hearing these things from your mouth."

"I know who the traitor is!" he declared. "But more importantly, Ryoma, I know who killed Scarlet!"

The silence that followed was one of great momentous. Even Azura stopped her singing to stare at Corrin.

"How…what…who is it?" Ryoma asked, his voice sounding suspiciously broken.

Corrin pointed at Gunter with all the authority of a man with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. "You!"

"Me?"

"It was you, Gunter! You're the one responsible for the murder of Scarlet Ismiradaughter. You're the one responsible for treason and espionage against the Nohrian, Hoshidan,  _and_  Vallite crowns!"

Gunter guffawed, though there was no mirth in it what-so-ever. In fact, the chuckle was less of a  _That's pretty funny_  chuckle, and more of a  _Really? That's the best you can throw at me?_  chuckle.

"That's…disappointing, even for a turncoat," Gunter said, shaking his head. "Accusing your accuser? Where's your evidence? Your alibi? Honestly, Corrin, you couldn't sound any more desperate with your lies."

"Wait, wait, wait a moment." Leo tried to make a time-out sign with his hands, forgetting for a moment that he was still under the effect of the gravity spell.

"I remember you saying something about how you didn't want Corrin to suffer the same fate Scarlet did. You said something about a flower."

"Yes? What about it?" Gunter asked.

"That's it!" Corrin snapped his fingers.

"Scarlet and I were the last ones to jump, remember? Right before we jumped, she pinned a flower to her chest. I asked her what it was for, and she told me about it was an old Chevois tradition, to pin a flower to your armor right before you enter a momentous event."

"I…remember that," Ryoma muttered. "She said something about it when we—" He clamped his mouth shut. Now, he looked even more like an overcooked lobster, his face was so red.

"See?" Corrin said. "I'm not making this up! Ryoma remembers! But if Scarlet and I were the last to jump…how did you know she pinned a flower to her chest? When we found her body, did  _anybody_  remember seeing a flower?"

"I remember only seeing a dead woman," Laslow grumbled from somewhere beneath Odin's legs.

Ryoma frowned. "Well, now that you mention it, no. No, there wasn't a flower on her…"

"That's because she pushed me out of the way when the spy attacked! When the spy killed her, the flower also burned away! That means there's only three people who could've known about the flower—actually, two, since one of them is…well, not here. Me…"

"…and Gunter."

The stunned silence that followed was even heavier and crushing than the last. Azura's arms fell limply to her sides as she watched Corrin glaring at Gunter.

Gunter harrumphed. "Likely story. How do you expect us to believe—"

"Wait!" Elise's voice chirped out. "You were just asking where Big Brother's loyalties were. You asked if it was with Nohr, Hoshido, 'Or is it our god, Anankos?' 'Our god.'"

"Plus, how do you know about the Hoshidan throne of truth?" Xander asked. "Surely, only those actually created it and those who currently own it would know its true history. How do you know it was the Vallites who created it?"

"And why did you react so negatively to Azura's song?" Takumi asked. "Azura's song is capable of rejuvenating allies and dispelling possessions. I would know! Why would it hurt you to hear her song if…you're…not possessed?  _Oh._ "

Gunter glanced out of the corner of his eye towards Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, and Corrin. Slowly, but ever so surely, the pieces clicked into place.

"Gunter," Xander said, his voice low and dangerous. "What…have you done?"

Gunter chuckled, and the chuckled soon grew into a fully-fledged laugh.

"Hahahahaha…BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Corrin frowned. "Why are you—"

"Well played, Corrin. Well. Played."

His voice was light, but was a little bit… _off_  from his usual manner of speaking. There was an edge to it this time, something cruel, something apathetic. It was more cynical, more mocking.

Gunter grunted as he struggled to his feet. "Admittedly, I never really got the hang of magic. I was expecting my little gravity spell to fail entire time. Guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks."

Xander stared at the older man. "Gunter…how did you get up so easily?"

Gunter looked down at Xander and promptly kicked him in the ribs. "Who said anything about it being easy?"

"So you  _were_  the traitor!" Corrin shouted. "I knew it!"

"I have to say,  _milord_ , you really are gifted at figuring things out quickly, even when under pressure. I suppose that explains why I never could beat you in speed chess, why all of my attempts to end your life failed. That, and because of  _her_." He pointed towards Azura, who stepped back, instinctively hiding behind Corrin as he clenched his fists.

"Gunter…you were the one who attacked Corrin back in the tunnel?" Leo asked. "The one who cast a paralysis spell on him?"

Gunter sneered. "Of course. Don't sound so surprised,  _Lord_  Leonardo. Anankos has the gift of knowledge, and with it, he has granted me the power cast any spell I want, as easily as I could. How could I not use such a power to paralyze Corrin?"

"Then…why didn't you just kill him, then?" Leo asked. "Not that I wanted that to happen, but why?" Leo winked surreptitiously towards and mouthed the words "sing." Azura nodded, understanding.

Gunter's features grayed for a second. "Admittedly, I…I don't know. Looking back, you were right. I could've used any multitude of spells to finish of Corrin, like  _Thoron_ , or  _Ignis,_  or—"

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

_Destined to—"_

Faster than either Corrin or Azura could react Gunter pounced towards them at a speed unbefitting of a man of his age. Corrin grunted and crumpled to the floor as an armored fist buried itself in his stomach.

Azura screamed as she felt an armored arm wrap itself around her throat before a hand clamped itself over her mouth.

"Don't you go singing your special song now, you  _blood-traitor_ ," Gunter whispered into her ear. "As much I hate having to do this to a lady, my master hates hearing that song even more, especially now that you're so close to him. You know how much trouble you and your mother have caused him over these last few years? You're Vallite loyalty. You should've sided with Lord Anankos from the very beginning."

Corrin struggled to unsheathe Yato. Gunter shot a look bordering on pity as he casually strode over to the half-dragon and kicked the weapon out of his hands, then him, for insurance.

"How…how long…how long have you been…lying to us?" Corrin gasped.

Gunter's eyes drifted towards the ceiling in mock thought. Azura desperately tried prying her captor's hand off her mouth to no avail. She tried kicking him in the legs, but she may have been kicking a stone statue for all it did.

"That's actually a good question. You have no idea how hard it is to truthfully answer that question. Let's…just say that it was the whole time. One way or another."

"Why?" Xander asked. "Why would you betray us? Why would you betray Corrin? Why would you kill Scarlet?"

Gunter chuckled. "That's one of the easier questions I can answer. Simple answer is: I don't like you. I don't like  _any_  of you, but mainly  _you_ , Corrin. You make me sick. I just  _can't_  stand your naiveness, your belief that there's  _some_  good in everyone, because there's not! I decided, when I joined you on this journey, that I would strip away every. Last. Piece of your innocence from you."

Corrin struggled to his knees. "But you were the one who sneaked extra-portions into my room when I was younger, at the Northern Fortress. You were the one who snuck into my room at night to tell me bedtime stories!"

Here, Gunter's resolve wavered. "I…was a different man back then. Younger. Less experienced. I didn't know any better. As for Scarlet…let's just say that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. How was I supposed to know she would be foolish enough to throw herself in front of Corrin?"

"You take that back!" Ryoma snarled.

Gunter chuckled. "Ha, look at your face right now, Corrin. That's the face of a man without hope. Can you still say that you see some good within me? Can you?"

Corrin pushed himself to his feet. Gunter moved so that he and Azura were between Corrin and Yato. "You take one step towards that toothpick that you call a sword, and I'll crush her throat!" Gunter threatened.

He threateningly shook Azura, her head rattling back and forth like a paddleball. She looked desperately at Corrin, her head shaking ever-so-slightly. Corrin sighed and placatingly raised his hands above his head.

"Don't worry, I won't. And to answer your question…yes. Yes, I do."

Gunter scowled. "What? Are you naïve, or just plain stupid? I'm holding your  _girlfriend_  hostage! Your  _lover_! Your  _betrothed_! Your  _cousin!_  And you _still_ believe that there's good in me?"

"First off, no. I'm not stupid, though I admit I can be a little naïve at times. Second, she's  _not_  my betrothed."

Azura looked at him. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but feel hurt at his words. Her heart felt like it was dying as Corrin worked his jaw.

"Not yet."

An intense feeling of affection and love blossomed within Azura.

"And thirdly," Corrin continued. "If it means being able to trust in my friends and family, then yes. I do. You're nothing more than a puppet being controlled by Anankos. So was Arete and Sumeragi. If I could save them, I can save you."

Gunter threw his head back and laughed. "HA! You? Save me? Trust me,  _boy_ , I was dead inside long before I joined this failure of a journey, long before I have my life in service to Anankos. Don't compare me those pathetic puppets, because that's all they were:  _puppets!_  I'm still alive and kicking, and I've pledged my life to Lord Anankos. My body belongs to him! I am him, and he is me!"

Suddenly, Gunter sneered as he dragged Azura away, brutally yanking on her hair whenever she resisted. "Enough talk," he said. "My god demands I finish you off before I crush the rest of your army, starting with that tactician!"

"Robin always did say he had a knack for making enemies," Selena muttered to Laslow and Odin.

Out of nowhere, Gunter somehow managed to draw a knife and press the edge against Azura's throat. Azura's breath hitched as her eyes flitted down to the metal barely a hairsbreadth away from her skin. Her chest heaved in panic.

"Alright, what you're going to do is get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness. If you're lucky, Lord Anankos'll let you into his service. If not…well, then she dies, though truth be told, with the amount of trouble she caused us over the last few years, it's more than likely she'll die anyways." He pressed the blade ever-so-slightly into Azura's throat. Corrin swore that he saw beads of blood appearing.

"Alright, hold on a moment, Gunter," Corrin said. "Maybe if we—"

"If you try to bargain with me, she dies. If you take too long to think about it, she dies. If you refuse, she dies. If you take a step towards me, she dies. If she struggles, both you  _and_ her die. Understand?"

Corrin hesitated.

"Come now,  _boy_. Clock's ticking."

Corrin looked helplessly at Azura.

 _I'm sorry_ , he mouthed.

In response, she stopped struggling and slowly worked her hands up to Gunter's hand holding the blade. At first, Corrin thought she was going to attempt to pry the blade away from her body, and he nearly shouted at her to stop.

Instead, she tapped the back of his plated hand and drew a small, definitive  _X_.

 _What does she want me to do? What_ can _I do—oh._

"Time's almost up, boy," Gunter growled. He pressed the blade even closer to Azura's skin. There were definitely beads of blood clinging to the metal now.

"Alright, alright, you win," he said. "I submit."

" _What?_ " Xander said.

"On  _one_  condition."

Gunter sneered. "What did I say about bargaining with me?"

Corrin stared at Gunter. "I'm not bartering with you. I'm just saying what will happen."

"Corrin, you can't! He'll kill her, then you, then all of us!" Ryoma shouted.

Corrin glanced over his shoulder to look at his brother. "Don't worry, brother. I make my own fate. Truth be told, I've always been a bit sick about how the universe only giving me a certain number of choices."

Azura finally managed to get lucky and kicked Gunter in the groin, right where the armor didn't cover. His eyes widened in surprise and pain as the hand holding the knife started to slit her throat…

Before anyone could react, Corrin's right arm transformed into a lance-like appendage and shot towards Gunter's hand as his left arm transformed into a dragon's jaw, snapping at the air. Time slowed down for everyone.

Azura's eyes squeezed shut. Gunter recoiled and open his mouth to bellow in pain, which was understandable. The air around Corrin's arm-lance started to heat up, and a ferocious wind started to grate against his armored skin.

Gunter shouted in agony as the tip of the arm-lance pierced the hand, the point poking out through his palm. A quarter of a second before Corrin stabbed him, Azura managed to slip out beneath Gunter's hold.

Gunter and Corrin made eye contact for a split second before Corrin's dragon-jaw-fist enveloped the upper half of his body. Gunter screamed in pain, his voice slightly muffled by the tomb encasing his torso and head, as Corrin bashed him around before finally releasing and hurling him across the room. Gunter was slammed into the throne with enough force to knock the dust loose from the ceiling. A nasty  _crack_  echoed throughtout the chamber as he laid motionless.

Corrin transformed his arm-lance back into his normal arm and instantly rushed over to Azura, who was laying on the ground, a hand pressed to her chest as she heaved for breath. Behind him, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as their limbs loosened. Xander and Ryoma struggled to their feet, and unsheathed their weapons, their eyes darting around for more enemies. Elise also struggled to her feet and grabbed her healing rod as she made her way towards Corrin and Azura.

"Here, here, let me see," he said gently as he grabbed her hand and lifted it away from her neck.

Sure enough, there was a small red smile there, but thankfully, the knife missed the artery.

"Is…is it bad?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he let his head fall onto Azura's chest, relieved and grateful that she was alive.

"Uh, Corrin?"

"You're alright, Azura," he said after a moment. "The knife just barely missed the artery. Sakura or Elise can get it fixed up in no time. It's basically a paper cut. But on your neck."

"Ah. I thought it'll be worse."

"So did I. Thank the gods you're still alive."

Azura smiled in relief as she saw the silhouette of Elise's healing staff come into view above her. A faint red dusted her cheeks as she realized where Corrin's head was resting.

"Hey, uh, Corrin. Can you…move your head for a moment? You're sort of laying it on my—er—it's in the way of Elise's healing."

"Oh, um, sorry," he said, hastily lifting his head. He frowned as he noticed where Elise was healing Azura.

"That's…not anywhere close to where I was… _oh_. Sorry"

Once Elise was finished, Azura smiled and reached out towards Corrin with her arms. "Come here, you."

Corrin hesitated for only a split second swooped down to oblige her. Her hands fisted at the hair at the back o shier neck as he breathed in her scent, his hand working down to the small of her back. After a few seconds, they separated and merely looked at each other. Azura gently ran a finger over Corrin's cheek.

"Oh, please  _do not_ tell me that you two are about to kiss," Leo deadpanned. Behind him, Takumi made a gagging motion.

Corrin smirked. "One day, Leo, you'll find that having someone kiss makes everything that much sweeter."

Azura giggled.

Leo opened his mouth to protest, until the crumpled figure resting on the throne shifted.

A nasty cracking sound echoed around the chamber as bones reknit themselves, fingers reorienting themselves in the proper directions. Gunter's head did a full one-eighty turn to glare at the group as he got to his feet, purple flames flaring up around him. Corrin noticed the fact how Gunter's eyes were now red instead of their usual brown.

"What…have… _you…DONE_?" he thundered.

Corrin instantly shot to his feet and grabbed Yato from the ground. He pushed Azura behind him.

"Stay in the back," he ordered.

For once, Azura agreed.

"What…have you  _done?"_  Gunter repeated, his voice hollow and strained.

"Reminded you why you should never try to barter with a dragon" Corrin said coldly, in the manner he always did whenever he was deadly focused. "Dragons are selfish creatures, Gunter. They want all the cards, yet are unwilling to risk even the most worthless of them. What makes you think I'm different? What makes you think you can barter with me? And more importantly, what makes you think you can barter with me using Azura's life? Not only is she my cousin, but she's also my lover and family. She;s worth more to me than anything in the world, and if there's one thing you should learn about me, Gunter, it's that you  _never, ever_  barter with a dragon."

Gunter scowled and stomped towards Corrin. Once he reached the pedestal where the strange purple blade was embedded in, he stopped.

"This…is Ganglari," he said curtly. "It's the very same weapon Garon gave to you so long ago, and it's the same weapon Sumeragi used to kill your mother. With it, I'm going to kill you. With it, I'm going to kill Azura. With it, I'm going to remind of the wrath you just incurred!"

Grasping the hilt with both hands, Gunter lifted the sword, pedestal and all, straight out of the ground. Gunter waved the sword around, trying to remove the pedestal at the end of the blade before finally grabbing it forcing it off towards Corrin.

Corrin transformed his arm into a giant dragon maw and slapped aside the projectile.

"Tell me, Corrin, do you still believe you can try to sway me with your mutterings of trust and belief?"

"…"

"Well, do you?"

"Yes. I do. I still believe in you, Gunter."

Gunter scoffed. "As expected. Your foolishness always manages to impress me somehow. But if it's your only source of comfort when you undoubtedly lay on the floor bleeding out, surrounded by the bodies of your friends, you're more than welcome to think in such a manner."

Gunter waved his hand over Corrin and his group. Shadowy figures lethargically rose out of the shadows and drew their weapons as they converged on the rest of Corrin's group. Everyone went back-to-back with each other, forming a rough circle.

"It's a trap!" Xander shouted.

"Everyone! Back to back!" Ryoma shouted. "It'll take more than a poorly staged ambush to defeat us!"

Gunter sneered as Corrin glanced over his shoulder. "Oh no, little prince. You're staying right here, right where I can see you. You're going to pay for what you did to me."

Corrin took a deep breath and raised Yato before him, his transformed arm twisting and reshaping itself to form a rough shield, covered with thick, platinum white and onyx dark scales.

"We'll see."

Sounds of fighting and battle broke out within the great chamber as Gunter scowled and charged towards him, bellowing a war cry. Corrin slapped the attack aside with his shield arm, only for his arm to suddenly feel numb. After pushing Gunter back after a failed attack, he glanced down his arm.

To his shock, the purple flames had started to spread up his arm-shield, slowly eating away and corroding the armor and skin. It wasn't painful, and it looked like it definitely took a while for it to any real damage, but Corrin knew he couldn't afford to let Gunter land a single blow on him. As he watched, a couple of his scales started to burn and dropped to the floor, whereupon they shattered like pottery.

"What is this?" he hissed.

"That's the feelings of your sins and transgressions crawling up your back," Gunter replied. "That aura will eat away at both your body and your soul…until there's nothing left."

Corrin scowled and thrust Yato forward, piercing Gunter's forearm. The muscles in his face jumped and twitched as he jumped back from Corrin, and his whole body began to shake with tremors. Baring his teeth, he growled, "You will not get the better of me,  _boy_."

Corrin spread his legs apart into a defensive stance as he raised his shield-arm. He knew his makeshift barrier wouldn't last long, but he didn't need it to. All he needed was to hold Gunter long enough for Azura to sing her song, or for him to—

Gunter swung Ganglari at Corrin. Corrin rolled to the side and felt the fell sword pass a hairsbreadth above his head. He kept rolling for another few feet, then pushed himself into a standing position.

Shouting, Gunter charged towards him again, and Corrin once again deflected the blow. This time his shield-arm let out a loud cracking noise and Corrin watched as his sheild arm disintegrated into a mass of scales, leaving only his bare arm. Unlike when he normally transformed, where his clothing and armor remained the same when he transformed back into a human (thankfully), this time, as Corrin watched his shield-arm disintegrate, there was nothing left of his armor or clothing on his arm.

Corrin blinked and scowled before charging Gunter, raising Yato above his head with two hands in preparation to deal a heavy blow. Gunter raised his hand over his head in a reverse-hand grip to defend himself. The two swords rang like bells in the throne room, sharp and clear among the sounds of fighting, and the whispers of the dead.

After a series of trading blows, Corrin finally lucked out and managed to sock Gunter in the right eye, a bruise already swelling his eyes shut.

Gunter stumbled back and gingerly touched the bruise, wincing as he did. "Not bad, boy. Not bad.  _But not good enough_."

Corrin took advantage of Gunter's pause in momentum to charge towards him, Yato carving a death rune in the air as he slashed at Gunter. Gunter ducked beneath Corrin's savage crosscut, and stabbed at Corrin's left armpit. Corrin's eyes widened and he yelped as he tried to jump out of the way. Ganglari pierced armor and muscle, as though it was rice paper.

Corrin stumbled backward, and he fell back onto his hands and feet, bruising the fingers with which he held Yato. He expected the former retainer to be upon him within a second, and so he futilely raised his arm to block the incoming blow, but instead, Gunter remained where he was, swaying side to side as he reveled in the carnage around him.

"I want you to see something, Corrin," Gunter said. He reached down and grabbed Corrin by his hair. He pointed towards the rest of Corrin's group, who were a group of colors among the sea of purple.

"See her? That blunette in the middle there? With the naginta?" he asked.

Corrin tried to wrestle himself free of Gunter' grip. "No! Don't do it!"

"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to cast  _Thoron_  on her, and the rest of your pathetic excuse for friends will follow suit.  _Then_ , and only then, will I kill you."

"Azura! Azura!" Corrin shouted, trying to warn her. "Run! He's going to—"

"That's enough of that now,  _boy_ ," Gunter jeered as he clocked Corrin the back of the head. He fell like a sack of rocks to the floor, his vision going blurry as he tried to crawl away from the Vallite King who stood over him.

" _Thoron!_ "

Reina screamed in pain as she fell onto her back, her face, once scarred yet beautiful, now nothing more than a pile of ash.

"Damn eye. She got in the way," Gunter muttered to himself. "No matter, second time's the charm.  _Tho_ _—"_

"No!" Corrin yelled. "Stop!"

Gunter spared a second to glance down at Corrin with utmost contempt, only to be shocked by the inhuman growls coming from the half-dragon.

"You…will never betray us  _AGAIN!_ " Corrin roared, before the rest of the transformation followed through, razor sharp claws and wings exploding out of his back and limbs.

Gunter stepped back in shock as the dragon's shadow slowly enveloped him. For a split second, Gunter's expression became that of shock and awe, before the usual tint of dark blue overcame Corrin's vision. All around the throne room, the fighting slowly came to a stop as everyone looked up at the dragon, its platinum white scales nearly glowing in the gloom.

Gunter recovered quickly. He jumped out of the way as a might paw slammed into the ground where he had been standing less than a second before. Gunter landed safely in front of the throne, before he was forced to duck as another paw swiped the throne cleanly off the dais and into the wall.

Azura stared up at the dragon. Unlike the time in the Shirasagi Castle courtyard, where Azura just barely came up to Corrin's shoulders, this time, he was much,  _much_  larger.

Normally, Corrin's draconic form was the same size as a horse. An overly large horse, perhaps, but most horses would've been of a similar size to him. Now, he was easily as big as a wyvern, maybe even larger.

"Not again…" Ryoma murmured.

"Last time he transformed like this…only Azura could control him" Takumi whispered.

Azura knew he was right. If Corrin transformed into his draconic counterpart because of his rage, then who knows what it would talk to stop him this time? The last time Corrin had transformed in such a manner, it had nearly killed her to stop him, and that wasn't even  _mentioning_  the toll his claws had on her body.

"Fight."

Everyone started at the sound of Corrin's voice passing through his jaws, a distorted and metallic echo behind it.

"Fight."

Gunter sneered and leveled Ganglari at the beast before him. "You think that just because you can turn into a dragon, I'm supposed to bow down and revere you? You're still the same person inside, naïve, foolish, and all too willing to do the right thing."

Corrin tilted his head, before, fast as a hawk, snatched out towards Gunter, enveloping him in a single, serrated claw. Gunter struggled futilely as Corrin, with all the dexterity of a man who's played the piano for decades, reared back to free up his other claw to deftly pry the now-minuscule Ganglari out of Gunter's hands.

As he fell back onto his front claws, Corrin slammed Gunter into the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him, yet gently and carefully enough to avoid crushing him like a grape.

Corrin lowered his head until he's nearly nose-to-nose with the struggling silhouette beneath his claws. One hand is feebly clawing at the talon on his right shoulder, while the other desperately procured a dagger and stabbed it, again and again, into Corrin's paw until it shattered.

"Fight." Corrin repeated again.

"Let go of me!" Gunter growled. "I am the king of Valla! He is me, and I am him! I refuse to accept defeat! I refuse!"

"Fight."

"Is that the only thing you can say? 'Fight?'"

"…No."

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

_Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach..._

_Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

_The path is yours to climb…"_

Gunter thrashed futilely. "No! Stop that song! Stop!"

Xander's eyebrows lifted as he realized what was happening. "Azura! Keep singing! Your song may be the only thing that can break through Anankos' control!"

Corrin transformed back into his human form. For a split second, Xander and Ryoma were tempted to shout at Corrin for freeing Gunter, but once they saw the writhing form on the ground, they relaxed.

"You asked me if I still believed in you," Corrin said. "And I still do. I know there's a part of you somewhere in there who doesn't want to hurt me or my friends. That's why I keep saying 'fight.'  _Fight_ the power controlling you!"

"No…point," Gunter groaned.

"Yes there is!" Corrin insisted. "Remember all those memories we shared together? All the time we spent together? Those night when you read me stories by candlelight? Those games of hide-and-seek you always played with Felicia, Flora, and me? All those stern talking-to's you had with Jakob?  _Remember!_ "

"No…"

Corrin knelt down next to Gunter, who was now too weak to do much else besides stare languidly up at the ceiling. "You taught me how to fight with a sword. You taught me respect and discipline, but also how to laugh and forgive."

"…Corrin…"

"Come back to us!" Corrin continued. "Embrace the light! Break free of Anankos' control and return to us!"

The undead soldiers all suddenly went limp and dissipated into water as everyone crowded around Corrin and Gunter, save for Orochi, who cradled Reina's ruined body in her arms, her face blank and stone-faced.

"Lord Corrin…?"

Corrin's eyes widened. "It's working!" He turned back towards Azura. "It's working! Keep singing!"

Azura nodded and closed her eyes before bursting into another stanza.

Turning back to Gunter, Corrin said, "You remember, don't you? Hold on to those memories, to those feelings!"

Gunter's eyes snapped open—round and rimmed with an unnatural amount of white—and he stared into the distance, as if Corrin and those surrounding him no longer existed. He shook and trembled and his jaw worked, but no sound came from his throat.

Two things happened once, then. First, Azura'a shreiked and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed weakly to the ground. Gunter suddenly snatched and unsheathed Corrin's dagger from his waist.

"Corrin!" Ryoma shouted as Xander reached out towards him, his lips also forming his name.

Corrin blanched and tried to stumble backwards as his arm instinctively twisted and grew into a giant claw in an attempt to protect himself. But it grew too slowly.

Gunter raised the dagger…

…and plunged it into his chest.

A black smoke shot out of Gunter's every orifice as Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of group were blown backwards, away from him. Corrin stumbled and rolled for a few feet before his arm-claw transformed into a scythe and dug itself into the ground.

He braced himself as he raised his other arm to peer at the figure kneeling in the center of the miasma, an unearthly keening sound echoing from it.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screaming stopped, the tornado of black smoke slowly dwindled away. Everyone groaned and grunted as they picked themselves up off the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, Corrin glimpsed Azura still lying prone on the ground, and he was about to step towards her when Gunter's form moaned and shifted, ever so slightly. Torn, he looked between the two, until one of Azura's eyes cracked open.

She motioned for Corrin to go the Gunter with a slight motion of her head before closing her eyes again in exhaustion.

Corrin ran over to the old knight and knelt down next to it. Blood was pooling around the body of the retainer, the hilt of Corrin's dagger protruded from his chest.

"Gunter," Corrin said, his voice sounding weak and faraway after what had just happened. "What did you do?"

Gunter's eyes cracked open, and to Corrin's relief, they were now his natural shade of brown instead of red.

"I…I will atone for my actions…no, my  _betrayal_ …with my life."

And with that, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he became still.

"Gunter? Gunter!"

For a moment, Corrin was a little boy again as he shook Gunter's shoulder. It was only a deafening  _boom_  echoed around the chamber did his instincts check in and he checked Gunter's pulse. There was one. Weak, to be sure, but at least there was one. Corrin sighed in relief and let his head fall onto Gunter's chest.

"Corrin," Xander called. "You…may want to see this."

Corrin looked up and took a moment to lay Gunter's hands over his chest before standing up and walking over to where Xander and Ryoma were standing.

"What's wrong? Is something the…"

His voice died in his throat as he looked down to see Azura writhing in pain, purple splotches of dark energy appearing across her skin.

"Azura?"

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. She tried to scoot away from him desperately. "D-don't come any closer!" she half-yelped, half-whimpered. "I-I'm fine!"

Corrin frowned and dropped to his knees as he grasped Azura by the shoulder. Azura flinched at the touch, but as soon she relaxed, the purple phantoms started to disappear. A familiar strength filled her body as she gazed into Corrin's concerned eyes.

"What's wrong, Azura? Tell me."

For a moment, Azura was tempted to lie again, but then her mind flashed back to the conversation she had with Corrin outside the throne room.

* * *

_"But promise me one thing," Corrin said, raising a finger._

_Azura's heart jumped._

_"No. More. Secrets," he said. "Alright?"_

_Azura swallowed her nervousness. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell you everything you want to know about me…"_

* * *

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For already breaking my promise to you. I never told you what my song did."

Corrin frowned. "But…you did. You told me that the song can be used to either rejuvenate allies, or dispel possessions at the cost of some of your personal energy. You never said it would cause you pain!"

Azura shifted her gaze downwards. "I said I could do such things at the cost of my personal  _vitality_."

Corrin crossed his arms. "Tell us the whole truth."

Azura glanced up at the crowd around her. "Here? Trust me, I'm fine!"

" _Now_ ," Corrin ordered. "For a moment there, it looked like you wear fading out of existence! Tell us the truth."

"But here? I'm not really comfortable telling this to everyone…"

"Azura, if you tell all of us, maybe one us would be able to help you," Hinoka offered. "You're part of our family, and its considered bad manners to  _not_  help family."

Azura looked between Corrin and Hinoka, torn about her decision before finally sighing. "Fine. The whole truth then."

"The stronger a person is, the stronger I have to sing my song in order for it to work, and the weaker a person is, the less energy I need to put in. Seems fair, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, there's a cost. The more energy I put into the song…the more life energy it uses."

Corrin frowned. "Life energy? But if the song was to use all of it up…"

"Then I would die, yes," Azura confirmed. "I would liquefy and dissipate into water, much like anyone who said Valla's name outside of Valla. If I was to overuse my song in a short enough period of time, or put too much life energy into it, I would die."

Corrin's eyes widened. " _What?"_

"That makes sense," Leo said, rubbing his chin.

Corrin turned on him. "How could you see the reasoning in that? That's horrible! That's…that's…"

"I never said I appreciated such a waste of life," Leo retorted. "All I'm saying is that much like using a healing staff or casting spells, Azura's song also follows a set of specific rules."

"And those rules being…?"

Leo stared in Azura's eyes. "You follow them, or you die."

"I...I don't understand," Corrin said.

"Let me explain," Leo said, shifting into lecture-mode. "Azura's song, by the loosest definition, is magic. This kind of magic—like all magic—has rules like the rest of the world. If you break or bend the rules, the penalty is death, without exception. Such acts are limited only by the user's strength. Using magic takes just as much strength and energy as it does randomly swing a sword around. If the magic was to use more energy than was in your body, then you would die.  _Always_. That's why most mages and healers utilize books and healing staffs. Though this branch of study has always been hypothetical, most mages and scholars generally agree that by drawing energy from something that was once alive, one could cast spells without exhausting their own personal reserve. That's why most healing staffs are made of wood; the wood came from a tree, which was once alive."

"That…makes sense then, why I always felt so tired after singing my song," Azura admitted. She lifted the pendant off his neck and looked at it in the torchlight.

"My pendant's made of metal, so that's why I always had to literally sing my life out if I wanted anything to happen."

Azura frowned as she looked up at Leo. "Wait…does that mean that I can…"

"Use magic?" Leo finished. "Absolutely. The ability to use magic is hereditary, and since your mother can use magic, I think its more than likely that you can also use it, if not as well as a normal mage like Odin or I. It's either that, or the pendant has some sort of spell upon it that allows its wearer to manipulate the flow of energy and water around them."

"That still doesn't explain why you kept this hidden from us, Azura," Corrin said. "You promised me that you'll tell me everything!"

Azura looked at him guiltily. "I didn't want you to worry," she muttered meekly.

"And if you were to die because of your song, I was just supposed to look at that pendant sitting in a puddle of water and go, 'Hm, well that's unfortunate?'" Corrin said, getting agitated.

"I'm  _sorry_ , alright?" Azura snapped back. "I'm sorry that I broke my promise already, but I knew only telling you the whole truth would make you worry, and for the greater good, your focus shouldn't be me!"

Corrin shook his head. "The greater good  _is_  you, Azura. That's why I agreed to help you in the first place!"

Azura frowned. "Pardon?"

Everyone's gaze flitted between Corrin and Azura's conversation with interest.

"Azura, I think it's safe to say now that I  _love_  you, despite our...circumstances," Corrin said. "I loved you from the very beginning, when we first met in Hoshido, by that lake. When you went up to me and asked me,  _begged_  me, to help you stop Anankos, I remember the only thing going through my head was, 'Of course! Why wouldn't I help the love of my life?'"

Azura blushed, but she forced down her emotions. "This isn't the time, Corrin." She glanced at the people gathered around them with embarrassment, but also a little bit pleased. "I appreciate your concern, truly, I do, but the reality is simply that if I don't sing my song, we can't defeat Anankos. Trust me when I say that my entire life has led up to this: stopping Anankos."

"But—"

"Trust me, Corrin. Just because I have a pendant that saps me of my life energy whenever I sing doesn't mean I'm automatically destined to die. It only means that I'm willing to sacrifice my own wellbeing for you, and for this cause.  _Trust me_ , Corrin. I don't want to die. I want to live a long and happy life, with  _you_ , specifically…"

Now it was Corrin couldn't stop himself from having red tinge the tip of his ears. He looked away.

"…so believe me when I say that I won't overuse my song in such a manner again, unless it's  _absolutely_  necessary."

Corrin planted his hands on his hips as he looked away, his jaw working.

"Fine," he said after a moment of deliberation. "You've made it…very clear to me before…that I can't stop you from doing what you truly believe in. Just know…"

He shook his finger threateningly at Azura. "If you die because of that damn song, I'll kill you."

Azura smiled. "Sounds…good."

Within herself, Azura breathed a sigh of relief. Everything between them would be fine.

Corrin grinned and held his hand out to help her to her feet. Barely a second passed before Azura accepted the gesture and promptly flung herself into Corrin's arms, her hands wrapping themselves around his neck.

"I'm sorry, I really am," she whispered to him and him only. "I was planning on telling you  _after_  this war was over."

"Just like everything else?" he whispered back.

Azura froze, her eyes wide. Corrin sighed and rubbed the back of her head with his hand.

"It's alright," he replied. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry at you before. I know I was really angry at you, and a little embarrassed too, at us being cousins, but I love you. I know how hard it is for you to reveal your secrets to other people, but really? How were you going to tell me after the war if you died?"

Corrin could feel the embarrassment rolling off her. "I wasn't  _really_  planning on singing my song against Anankos. If I did, even all the mages in the world wouldn't have enough energy to control him."

" _That_  makes me feel better," Corrin deadpanned. "If you weren't going to use your song, why did you say you were going to?"

"I  _didn't_ ," she replied. "I just…sort of implied it."

"Alright then. Why did you  _imply_  it?"

"…"

"Azura?"

"I just got caught up in the moment, that's all."

"Ah. I see."

"…"

"…"

"Corrin, were you being serious when you said you fell in love with me from the very first moment we met each other?"

Corrin grinned and opened his mouth to reply before Xander sternly cleared his throat.

"If you two are  _done_ , we have a dragon god to track down and kill."

Sheepishly, Azura untangled herself from Corrin's arms. Corrin managed to catch Azura's attention with a wink and mouthed the word  _yes._  Azura smiled.

Corrin frowned as he noticed members of the second group, the group responsible for opening the gates to let in the rest of the combined armies of Hoshido and Nohr, standing among them.

"Hey, wait a second," he started. "Why is everybody—"

"You're welcome."

Corrin turned to see a familiar white-haired, coat-wearing, tactician magician striding towards him.

"R-Robin?"

Robin grinned. "The one and only!"

Corrin's jaw dropped. "W-wait, how are you here? I thought you were supposed to stick with the rest of the army!"

Robin shrugged. "I thought so too, but apparently, the army decided to stick with me."

"Stick with you? But that means…wait a second."

The torches lined up on the walls suddenly flared brighter as Robin snapped his fingers, revealing a much larger number of bodies crowding into the throne room.

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise before he cleared his throat. "I see. Then I suppose the group I sent out to open the gates was successful?"

Robin nodded.

"And I'm assuming that the rest of the army is more-or-less in fighting condition?"

Robin grimaced. "Actually, can I talk to you about that for a moment?"

" _In private_ ," he added after Azura looked at them curiously.

"It's fine," Corrin said. "She's more than earned the right to listen."

"If you say so," Robin grunted.

Robin pulled out a tome from underneath his tomes and flipped to a page covered in drawings and pictures. "Do you know how  _long_  we've been waiting out there for you guys to infiltrate the castle and open the doors for us?"

Corrin frowned. "Surely, it couldn't have been—"

"Almost  _two full days!_ " Robin hissed. "That's nearly fifty seven hours and fifty two minutes! What took you guys so long? The whole operation was supposed to take less than a day, and yet somehow, you managed to drag this whole thing out double that!"

Corrin clapped his hand to his forehead. "Two full days?"

_No wonder why I felt so tired out in the hallway. We've been walking and fighting for almost two days straight without any sleep!_

"How do you explain yourself?" Robin asked. "Do you know how  _frustrating_ it is when your soldiers don't listen to you? We had a perfectly good plan and you—

"We were  _sidetracked_ ," Corrin interrupted..

"Sidetracked."

"Yes,  _sidetracked_. For one, not only did her  _mother_ ," he waved towards Azura, who looked at them with interest, "decide to try and kill all of us, but so did my father! And you know what happened after that? My mother popped out of nowhere and told us the story of how she was Azura's mother's adoptive sister!"

"I don't see how that's relevant—"

"And that's not even talking about the countless hours we spent trying to find the bridge that'll let us safely infiltrate the castle, us walking miles upon miles to  _get_  to the bridge, me finding an innocent child and promising him to help him only to transform into a giant Faceless and try to kill us,  _plus_  the time we spent down in the castle labyrinths and dungeons trying to find our way to the surface! So  _you_  tell me if we were sidetracked or not."

"Well, in hindsight—"

"Plus, sieges don't magically resolve themselves in a single day, Robin! The longest a siege has ever gone for in recorded history was five years! The shortest? A week! We're literally trying to achieve a new world record here, Robin. Don't tell us off for taking more time than expected. Hell, the fact we managed to infiltrate the castle at all in just a single day should be news enough! And  _don't_ you  _dare_  tell me off for not following  _your_  instructions. I am the leader of this army, not you! If you think that just because I let you, that I  _trusted_  you with running the combined armies of Hoshido and Nohr for a couple of days means that you can now disobey and work against me, you're  _sorely_  mistaken."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Robin apologized. "I can see you're a little bit worked up, and that's understandable, seeing how you're suffering from both lack of adequate rest and sleep deprivation. I get it, I'm suffering from the same symptoms too. Getting a good night's sleep on a battlefield isn't exactly the easiest thing to achieve, as I'm sure you know. I'm assuming you had no idea of the time that passed by because, well, there's no sun. It's not exactly the easiest to tell the time of day when all the sky shows are islands and clouds."

Robin looked down in shame. "And...and I'm sorry about the bit where I was angry at you for not following my orders. In my homeland, where I was their grandmaster tactician, my word was the law. If I wanted something done, it was done, and always to my expectations. I guess...I guess I just miss that feeling, you know?"

Corrin's eyes softened. "I get it, but tell me. Is the army in fighting condition or not?"

Robin ran his finger down the page his tome was open to. "Yes… _but_ …"

"But what?"

Robin snapped the tome shut. "But everyone's scared," he said.

"Why?" Corrin asked.

"Morale is low among the men, and I'm already hearing plans to dessert. Mostly from the younger soldiers. It seems that the older warriors are either more loyal, or they simply want to portray themselves as being better than the other everyone arrived here in Valla, remember, everyone was split up. One group would consist of nearly a hundred men while another would consist of only three. We landed here unorganized and were completely surprised by the amount of resistance Valla provided. First day, we lost nearly one thousand nine hundred forty-seven men. Assuming the total number of soldiers both Hoshido and Nohr that came with us added up to ten thousand, that makes up for nearly nineteen percent of our total forces."

Corrin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gods…"

"Those casualty numbers also included the operation where we had to split our forces between the eight forts," Robin explained. He glanced up at Corrin, whose face had paled somewhat.

"So...that's a thing," he finished awkwardly. He patted him on the shoulder.

"Trust me, Corrin. These numbers mean little—er—actually, they do mean something, but what I meant to say was that every one of those numbers were people who signed up to fight. They knew the risks."

"I know," Corrin replied, his voice hollow. "I just didn't expect so many on the first day. What about the rest?"

Robin cleared his throat. "Second and third days, we occupied and took over the fort where the mage had set up her command post. Those were also the days where we were trying to find a map of the area that showed where that bridge was. Little to no deaths those two days, thankfully, since the Vallites decided to pull back out of the area. Only fifty-four killed in the taking of the fort and driving out the rest of the Vallites in the area. As for the siege…well, it's not pretty."

"Hit me."

"First day, we lost nearly two thousand men. The Vallites proved to be a much more credible threat than we had first anticipated, and they made use of guerrilla tactics, picking off stragglers and the wounded as we marched. Second day, we dug in around the castle and prepared to siege it. That was when the shelling began."

"Shelling?"

Robin nodded. "Shelling. Anankos plays dirty, he does. He ordered his mages to cast spells like Ignis and Thoron on large cast-iron balls before catapulting them into our camp. I thought we were positioned far enough away that the catapults wouldn't reach us, but…I was outplayed. As the catapults launched the iron balls, the mages cast a multitude of wind spells upon them. Spells that make them fly further, fly faster, hit harder."

Corrin looked up at him. "So how many are left?"

Robin's mouth became a grim slash. "Barely more than a thousand and four hundred. One thousand four hundred sixty-six, to be exact."

Corrin nearly swore.

_So few?_

As if she had heard him, Robin dryly replied, "Trust me, this is nothing compared to one of operations I commanded back in the day."

"What happened?"

Robin tapped his chin. "Well, let's just say, the last time I was outplayed this badly, it involved a bunch of dynasts going back on their word and almost fifty thousand souls lost. In an hour."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better…how?"

"It's not." Robin clapped Corrin on the shoulders. "Just remember this. Even in the darkest of times, they will always be light. Did you think I immediately retired and hung up my coat just because a bunch of turncoats were forced to betray us? No! I stayed put and I adapted to the situation. You lost nearly eight thousand men over the course of the last two days, and now you have little more than a thousand. Don't moan and gripe about how everything is impossible now, because it's  _not_. Those soldiers gave their lives, so  _you_  can succeed."

"I don't know, Robin. We're facing a dragon god. A thousand souls aren't going to do much to him."

Robin scoffed. "Corrin, would you believe me if I told you that I was from another world?"

Corrin shrugged. "Probably. Why? Does it matter?"

"I think it might matter a  _little_  bit, because in my world, there was a dragon, just like Anankos. Insane. Mad. Wanted to destroy everything. But me and my friends, a group numbering just under fifty people managed to stop him. Granted, one of them was the exalt of one of the most powerful kingdoms at the time, and he and his daughter wielded a sword  _designed_  to kill dragons, but that's not important. What's important is that even in the face of great odds, you can never be surprised at just how hard people are willing to fight."

Corrin pursed his lips.

"When your back is up against a wall, and the only thing between you and achieving your destiny is a gargantuan dragon bent on bathing the world in fire, you don't meekly accept your death like that. Well, some people might, but only those pure of heart and having nothing to lose will fight back," Robin continued. "I ended two wars, literally killed a god-like dragon just like you, went back in time to prevent said-dragon from doing the same thing in my best friend's daughter's future just to travel to another world to do the exact same thing.  _Again_. You're  _not_  going to give up just because a couple thousand people died. You're going to take those feelings of regret and turn it in anger and a desire for revenge, because that's what I did! I used my feelings of regret and forged them into my destiny. If I can do it, so can you."

"You're rambling" Corrin muttered as Robin shook his shoulders. "But your words do contain a grain of truth."

"Of course it contains a grain of truth," Robin retorted. "It all happened."

"I can see you ending wars, and since you _do_  seem like the type travel between worlds, I can see how there can be another dragon like Anankos out there, but time travel? Seriously? That sound a little bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

"I swear on my life it happened," Robin stated.

Corrin sighed. "Whatever. I'll admit, you do have an odd way to inspire confidence—if you can call this sense of queasiness and newfound purpose confidence—in me."

Robin smiled and released Corrin. "That's the spirit!"

Corrin returned the grin begrudgingly. "Only question is, 'where is Anankos?' Azura confirmed this was the throne room, yet…there's no king."

Robin frowned. "Well, he might've—what?" He was interrupted by Laslow, Odin, and Selena clearing their throats.

"Oh. It's you three. What did you need?"

Laslow grinned nervously. "Ah, well, Odin and I found…something. I think you'll need to see this."

Robin raised an eyebrow and gave Corrin an apologetic look. "I do apologize for the interruption."

Corrin waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. You can talk to other people if you want. It's not like you're bound into my service or anything."

Robin nodded as Laslow, Odin, and Selena dragged him away. They whispered something in his ear, and almost instantly, the smile faded from his face as he looked at the three of them in bewilderment.

Corrin sighed and ran his hands through his hair as Azura approached.

"He's…certainly interesting," she said after a moment.

"That he is," Corrin agreed. "Time travel? Come on, who does he think I am?"

Azura nodded in agreement. They stood there, together, looking at the throne buried in the wall where Corrin had slapped it when Azura suddenly said, "I think I know where Anankos is."

Corrin looked at her. "Do you?"

She nodded. "I think he's—"

"Let's give the men a couple minutes to rest first, alright? I know how close we are to him, but everyone's tired, and we can afford a minute or two. Plus, I need to deal with Gunter. As much as it hurts me to say it, he's a traitor, and unfortunately, I'm bound by both the law and my own safety to have him imprisoned.

Azura pursed her lips. "Well…if you must. Just trust me when I say he's really close."

Corrin nodded. "Don't worry, I won't be long. Soon, all of this will be over. In one way or another."


	17. Endgame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this chapter is over 27 thousand words long and took up over 100 KB on my flashdrive. Therefore, I didn't even bother proofreading this. I hope you understand.

 

* * *

"…so see if you can take him back to camp and make sure he doesn't escape," Corrin finished, sparing a guilty glance at Gunter, who hung limply between the arms of two soldiers. The old retainer looked away as Corrin tried to catch his eye, to silently tell him that he still believed in him, though both parties knew that wasn't the case.

"…I know he was once my retainer," Corrin added on hesitantly, "and I hate giving these kinds of orders, but if he tries to escape or do anything of the kind…put him down. Permanently."

The captain, a stout-jawed man with a scar on his lower-left chin and sandy-blonde hair, nodded. "By your command!" he said before snapping a salute and turning towards the group of soldiers behind him.

Corrin tried to catch Gunter's eye again, but the old knight looked away, purposely avoiding his gaze. The tips of Corrin's ears drooped ever so slightly as he sighed and grasped Yato's pommel, the legendary weapon humming as if it knew how close it was to its ultimate goal.

Corrin looked around the throne room at what remained of the combined Hoshidan and Nohrian army. What was once an army of proud, well-trained, and fearsome warriors numbering in the thousands was now barely more than a group of a few hundred bruised, battered, and tired men.

Corrin sighed as he gazed at a shroud bundled in the center of the room, resting in the center of a blackened smear. Both Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers kept a respectful distance and silence around it. Gunter, under the influence of Anankos, had cast a  _Thoron,_  one of the rarest and most powerful spells ever conceived by mankind. Even Leo was reluctant to use it, fearful of the amount of energy, willpower, and focus needed to cast it.

A split second of wavering concentration could mean instant death to both caster and target, so how a normal person could use magic so quickly, even Leo was not sure, since the ability to warp and manipulate the energy around a person often took years of skill or practice, or more often, being born with the ability.

He had never known Gunter to be able to use magic, nor would he have had the opportunity to finetune such a complex skill on his own during the war, which meant the only plausible solution was that Anankos somehow "passed down" to ability to use magic down to Gunter while he was in his thrall.

But debates about how Gunter could suddenly use magic would do nothing to bring Reina back. The spell had struck her directly, around her chest and face. Normally, according to Leo, Hayato, and the rest of the more accomplished mages in the army, casting such a destructive spell and hitting a target spot-on was rare, and in the case of Reina, instant death.

As for Reina's corpse…well…

Where Reina had last stood when the spell struck laid a blackened, withered corpse, its smoking limbs clenched tight, like that of a dead spider. The whole thing was so charred and pitted that it was barely recognizable as anything that had once been human, much less alive.

There weren't even enough parts of her that were tangible enough for them to pick up and properly bury, so they were forced to leave the blackened skeleton there, with a shroud covering it.

His gaze settled on Orochi sitting blank-faced against the wall. Corrin wished he could do something more to alleviate her pain, but there wasn't much he could do besides letting her grief. He tried to say some words of comfort, anything to break the diviner's grief-stricken silence, but the only change in her behavior was for a fresh line of tears to plop silently onto the floor.

Corrin had never known Reina to a level beyond that of what he called a friend, but it was obvious even to a dullard that Orochi's relationship with her fellow retainer was not the same as his.

Both women had served as his mother's retainer when she was still alive, and when Anankos murdered her, their services passed into his own, befitting his technical status her heir. They could not have been any more different from each other.

Orochi was a fun-loving, sentimental woman with a habit of speaking in an old-fashioned way while Reina…was more interesting. On the battlefield, she was a wraith, the likes of which even Camilla couldn't hold up to, but off it? Well, she was then a completely different person, almost motherly in behavior and tone.

Corrin would be sad to see her gone.

Despite their differences from each other, it was obvious that both women cared greatly for each other. Both had worked as Mikoto's retainers for a long time, and according to Ryoma and Yukimara, both started working under her at around the same time, which meant they would've worked together for nigh-on a decade and a half, which was a long time indeed, which made it all the more understandable for Orochi's sudden shutdown.

She was in no condition to fight, but when he crouched next to her to tell her that, she had lashed out with such vehemence that he stumbled backward, unused to hearing such vitriol out her mouth.

"I will  _kill_  that damnable dragon myself if I have to!" she hissed. "And you're not going to be the one telling me 'no!'"

Corrin closed his eyes and rubbed them in both exhaustion and frustration. Once upon a time, in what felt like an eternity ago, talk of finally finishing the war seemed like idle chatter, reserved for talks late into the night. Now that what they were about to do was upon them, the whole idea seemed terrifying.

Robin's words about the loss of nearly eight thousand souls in the span of less than half a week continued to haunt Corrin's mind as he stared intently at the fellow tactician across the massive throne chamber. The tactician was engaged in a heated argument between Odin, Laslow, and Selena. Corrin watched with tempered amusement as Robin waved his heads above his head and pulled at his hair.

"No, no, no!" he shouted faintly. "I know you want to rescue her as much as I do, but we just don't have enough men or time to send out a search party! Absolutely not. I'm denying it  _with vehemence._ "

"Don't call us  _vehement,_ " Laslow countered. "We don't know what that means!"

"I didn't even call you vehement! If anything, I should be the one calling  _myself_  vehement!"

Corrin's ears pricked up slightly at the sound of bare feet padding behind him. He turned his head to see the form of Azura gliding almost silently towards him.

"Yes?" he asked. "What do you need?"

Azura took a moment to rub her eyes before responding. She too, was part of his personal guard, as part of the elite group, was an integral part of their mission to infiltrate Castle Gyges and open the gates from within, and as such, was also among those who hadn't taken a break beyond a few minutes of sitting down for the last two days.

Corrin couldn't believe it when Robin had revealed that Corrin and his elite group had been gone down in the castle labyrinths and dungeons for nearly  _two_  days. No wonder why he had felt increasingly exhausted.

First their battle with Arete, then being ambushed underground, getting separated from the group, finding his way back only to kill Sumeragi, meeting his mother one last time, and most recently, determining the identity of the spy and subduing Gunter. He could scarcely believe that had  _all_  happened in  _two_  days.

"I'm…I'm not sure," Azura responded tiredly. She looked terrible, with dark bags underneath her eyes and the weariness in her voice even more profound than usual.

"I thought that Anankos would be in the throne room, but it turns out that the 'Vallite King,' was Gunter," she explained. "So…so why isn't he here?"

"Well, you heard what he said," Corrin replied. "Anankos took control over him, which means he's still out there somewhere. Maybe he's hiding?"

"I doubt it," Leo said curtly.

Corrin and Azura turned to see Leo walking towards. "Apologies for eavesdropping," he apologized, "but I sent a couple men to look around this castle and…"

"…and what?" Azura asked. "What did they find?"

Leo, looking uncharacteristically nervous, rubbed his hands together, a habit he only does when he feeling even the slightest bit of hesitation. "Well…you'll want to see this for yourself."

Corrin and Azura looked at each other. "Show us," Corrin ordered.

"As you wish," Leo said dryly towards where Xander and Ryoma were standing on the dais where the throne previously occupied until Corrin destroyed and implanted the throne into the wall. The two crown princes looked up towards the trio, halting their hushed conversation.

"Xander," Corrin greeted, nodding towards him. "Ryoma. What were you two talking about?"

Xander's brow furrowed as Ryoma gestured towards the far end of the throne room with a jerk of his head, towards the darkness. "We just sent out a patrol of soldiers, to investigate and scout out the rest of the throne room," Ryoma explained. "And they still haven't reported back yet."

Azura frowned. "That's…unusual," she said. "I don't remember the throne room being so long or large."

"That was bothering us too," Xander agreed. "Something about these shadows…it feels a bit  _unnatural_ , doesn't it?"

Corrin peered forward in the darkness, past the torchlight. "Well…now that you mention it," Corrin muttered.

He turned towards Leo. "Hey, Leo!" he called. The Nohrian prince cocked his head.

"I'm standing behind you. Why do you need to shout? What do you want?"

"Isn't there a kind of spell out there that's able to create or manipulate light?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded slowly. "Why?"

"Are you able to detect it?"

"Yes. Again, why?"

"Can…can you reverse the effects of it or negate it?"

Leo's lips tightened. "Depends on the proficiency of the other caster," he said. "Truth be told, this branch of magic has never been my strong point. But you're avoiding my question. Why?"

Corrin turned to look at the shadows beyond them. "Well, something about this darkness doesn't sit well with me. I mean, the torches are only a couple of feet behind us. So why doesn't the light go further?"

Leo looked behind them at the aforementioned torches and looked down. True to Corrin's words, despite the light, as soon as it reached a couple of feet beyond the edge of the dais, the light fizzled out, becoming one with the darkness.

"Huh." Leo rubbed his chin. "Are…are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Azura looked between the two men, utterly lost. Despite Corrin's naïve nature, he could often be two to three steps ahead of everyone else, herself included, which made her feel…odd. She didn't hate it, but it still felt odd to not be looked at as an all-knowing sage for once.

"That Anankos is casting a certain type of magic that artificially drains the light out of certain areas, in order to make it easier for him to pick us off one by one if we ever decide to rush him?" Corrin asked. "I think so."

Leo sighed. "You'd best get the men ready then. Usually, a spell's effect is stronger the closer it is to its caster when cast, which means that, for instance, if the spell is this strong—"

"—then we're close to him," Corrin finished grimly. "Don't worry. I'll get the men ready, and then I'll be up in the front."

Behind him, Xander and Ryoma frowned deeply. "You can't possibly be—"

"We've gone over this before," Corrin sighed. "I have the Yato. According to the Rainbow Sage, its sole purpose for being created is to kill Anankos. I have a feeling that I'll be much safer if I'm standing at the front of the army with it compared to standing in the back without it."

Xander sighed and shook his head. "If you believe so," he said hesitatingly.

"What you two—" he pointed towards Ryoma and Xander, "—need to do is stand by my side. I'll—"

Ryoma forestalled him with a raise of his finger. "Do you really think we'll just let you take on all of Anankos' forces by yourself?" he asked.

Xander's lips tightened, but he stepped forward to rest a hand on Corrin's shoulder as well. "Plus, what made you think that we  _won't_  stand by you?"

"X-Xander! Ryoma! What are you two—"

"Perhaps it's the sense of either impending doom or finality upon us, little prince, but I have a feeling that either way, this all ends. Today," Xander said.

Ryoma nodded in agreement. "I agree. You've led us this far. I think—"

"H-hey!" Corrin protested, making a time out sign with his hands. "Let's not read our eulogies and obituaries yet! All I was going to ask if you two could remain by my side. We'll be in the thick of battle, and you two are the only ones who can possibly hope to keep up with me."

"Again, Corrin," Ryoma said. "We know. All we wanted to say was that…I'm proud of you.  _We're_  both proud of you," giving a look towards Xander.

Xander coughed awkwardly as he caught the look Ryoma was giving him and squeezed Corrin's shoulders. "Likewise. You've come a long way from being a young, naïve prince living in the Northern Fortress. Now, you're a warrior, and a prince responsible for leading the armies of Hoshido and Nohr against one last threat so that Hoshido and Nohr may coexist together."

"Peacefully," Ryoma added. "You forgot to say the word peacefully."

Corrin looked between his two brothers. "Did…did you plan this whole thing out?"

Xander hastily shook his head as Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly. "What of it?" the samurai asked. "We're about to finish off Anankos for good, and I thought it would do you some good to hear some encouragement."

"Oh. Well then." Corrin rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"Don't worry, little prince," Xander said with a smile, though his eyes remained as stern and alert as ever. "We'll win this."

Corrin looked at Azura. "Are…you going to—"

"I'm going to be in the front. With you," she affirmed. "I've been waiting for this moment my entire life, the moment where Anankos is finally put to rest. I'm not going to stay in the back."

"You'll be in even greater danger than the rest of us then," Corrin said. "You don't have a divine weapon to protect yourself with, and—"

"I have my pendant," she countered, holding it out for him to see. "That's the second reason I need to be up here with you. I'll need to sing my song in order to—"

"No." Corrin slashed his hand through the air. "Absolutely not. You said it yourself. The stronger an enemy is, the more energy you'll have to use. And if you use too much energy, then—"

"Then I'll die." Azura looked up into Corrin's eyes. "I'm ready for this. Nothing you'll say will change my mind. I  _will_  use my song to weaken Anankos, and I  _will_  use my song to help rejuvenate our allies. Nothing you do or say will change my mind on this."

"Nothing, huh?" Corrin crossed his arms and looked down at his feet, his jaw working. Behind him, Xander and Ryoma shifted uneasily as they stepped away, towards Leo.

"Fine, then," he said finally. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Promise me two things then."

Azura pursed her lips. "I don't think I—"

"Two things. Promise me them."

Azura looked down and tightened her grip on her naginata. "Very well then," she sighed. "What are they?"

"The first thing is that when this is all over, when we can finally sit back and not have to worry about some stupid war or something, promise me that you'll seek me out and clear up everything."

"Everything about what?"

"You, your history, the song, your pendant, our bloodline." Corrin gripped her shoulders firmly. " _Everything_."

Azura swallowed. "I…I promise."

"Say it."

Azura sighed. "I promise I'll find you after the war and tell you everything you want to know about us. Happy?"

"Not yet." Corrin squeezed her shoulders again. "Now for my second promise…promise me that if something goes wrong, you'll save yourself and leave the rest of us behind, alright?"

Azura opened her mouth to protest, my Corrin silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. "I know I asked you this before, at the fort and before we dropped into Valla, but this time, I won't take no for an answer. The instant you see that all hope of victory is lost, you run yourself out of here to safety. Promise?"

"I-I can't," she whispered. "My place is here. With you!"

"No, it's not," Corrin said, equally gently. "Even though I'm still a bit confused on this whole cousins thing, I love you. I love you, Azura. I can't bear seeing you hurt or killed."

"Or I, you," she whispered back.

"I want to spare you from that sight," Corrin said. "You're a gifted songstress and a beautiful dancer, but in this kind of battle…well, I brushed up on a few of Leo's old war books. It's going to get ugly when it happens. Chaos. Bloodshed the likes of which you've never seen before."

"Neither have you," she countered.

"I have," Corrin said sternly. "I've seen it, and I've been in it, so trust me when I say that the only reason why I want you away from this fight is because there's probably going to be an even greater chance of me being hurt trying to protect you than you being hurt because you're trying to protect  _me._ "

"Azura tried to protest. "B-but—"

Corrin sighed. "I know I'm not usually this…pessimistic," he said, "but I've talked to Robin, went over it in my head, and conversed with Leo about it. I'm going to be honest, Azura. With so little men, and Anankos having nearly an unlimited amount of undead soldiers, I don't actually know if we're going to win this one. In the case that the worst  _does_  come to pass, I want—"

Corrin fell silent as Azura cupped his cheek in her hand, her skin cool against his. "I'm sorry Corrin, but this is the only thing I can't promise you," she said sadly. "If this doesn't turn out the way it should've been…I…I'd rather die than to be alone, without you, constantly asking myself where everything went wrong."

Corrin sighed and released Azura, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…Very well then," he said finally. "If you wish. As much as I hate it. At least promise me that you'll drop back if you find yourself overwhelmed, alright?"

Azura frowned, but finally agreed. "I…promise," she slowly said. "But only if you promise you won't go up against Anankos by yourself."

Corrin took her hand and squeezed it. "I promise I won't." Then, trying to lighten the mood, he quipped, "Though I heard dragons were resistant to every type of attack, save for, of course, dragon type attacks."

Azura sighed exasperatedly and stepped away from Corrin. "Don't you have to prepare the men for combat?"

The playful grin on Corrin's face instantly died away. "Yes, of course," he said monotonously before walking away.

Azura watched him leave, and, when she was sure there was nobody around to see her, she collapsed back against a wall and slid to the floor, letting her arms wrap around her legs and her head fall onto her knees.

By the end of the day, everything would be over. Her mother, father, and aunt could finally rest. Her people could finally rest. But most importantly of all, both she and Corrin could finally rest.

Together.

* * *

"Ready, Leo?" Corrin asked, sparing a glance towards the prince.

Leo flipped furiously through his book. "Just about," he replied. "I'll need a few more moments to prepare the counter-spell though."

Corrin nodded. "Take your time."

He glanced back towards the array of men spread out behind them, weapons drawn and faces set. Most of them looked determined, but Corrin didn't know whether or not they  _felt_  determined.

The only light they had was from the faint glow of the torches behind them. Whatever excess light was swallowed by the darkness in front of them, which made it useless for those in front to carry torches or lights of their own.

"You ready for this?" Silas asked, whispering to make he didn't disturb Leo, whose lips were moving so fast, they appeared to be a blur.

"Not really," Corrin admitted. "I already told Azura this, but based solely on the amount of men we have left, the only way we'll be coming out on top is if we get lucky."

Silas grinned and rotated his shoulder, his body stiff. "Yeah, well, even if we don't win today, I'm sure bards will sing of your heroic enterprise into the unknown."

"It's not mine, though," Corrin protested. "If anything, they should be singing about Azura."

"Are you still hung up about Azura being your cousin?" Silas asked.

Corrin looked away. "It's…complicated," he said after a moment's pause. "On one hand, I really do love her. On the other hand…I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that we're cousins."

Silas playfully slugged Corrin on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much," he said. "I'm sure the two of you will figure something out before you two get married. It's not like the practice is uncommon among the nobility."

The tips of Corrin's ears turned scarlet as he unsheathed Yato, the light from the blade adding to the faint torchlight. "First off, just because other people do doesn't mean we should do it, and secondly, focus, Silas," he chided. "Let's talk about our relationship problems after this is over."

Silas grinned and shook his head. "As you wish, milord."

Corrin spared another glance over his shoulder at the army. The men were nervous; some of the younger ones looked as if they might be sick—and some were, which was something to be expected—but even some of the older men seemed tense, short-tempered.

Corrin could tell simply by the way they talked when they were resting up. Some were overly talkative. Some were over withdrawn. The cause was obvious enough.

All of the men knew how lucky they were to survive as long as they had in Valla. Whatever words of confidence Robin had said to them earlier, now, the confidence was gone, replaced by skittishness and the feeling of dreadful anticipation.

Corrin knew that there was little he could do to help them other than hide his own fears and hope that the men did not lose courage entirely.

The sense of anticipation that clung to everyone there, himself included, was terrifying. They had sacrificed so…so much in order to reach their point, and it wasn't just their own lives that were at stake here. To the men, however, all they knew, from what Xander, Ryoma, or Robin told them, they were about to face a great evil intent on destroying the rest of their world and that they were the last remaining forces standing against it. But to Corrin, it was the safety and well-being of Azura and his friends, as well as the future of the world itself

All of their prior battles had been similarly fraught, but this…this was the final one. This was the end. One way or another, there would be no more battles after this day.

The thought hardly felt real. Never again would they have a chance to kill and dethrone Anankos. Never again would Corrin and Azura spend countless sleepless nights bouncing ideas off each other, asking what would be the best way to dethrone Anankos.

And while confronting Anankos had seemed fine enough in conversations late at night, now that the moment was almost upon them, the prospect was terrifying. Corrin shot a glance toward Azura, who caught his gaze and nodded, once.

Corrin nodded back, before turning his attention back to Leo. Leo snapped Bryhildr shut with a  _snap_. The sound echoed around the chamber.

"Ready?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded. He raised his hand out in front of him and a great light shone out from his hand. " _Lumos!"_  he shouted.

Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of the men behind them all cringed and averted their gaze from the blinding light. As soon as the light died down to a more tolerable level, Corrin sent his eyes spiraling around the area in front of them, hoping to look for any signs of their foe.

To his disbelief, however, there was nothing. Nothing save for a giant stone mask nestled in the wall, the benevolent expression on its face in stark contrast to the feelings of shock and disbelief rippling through the army.

"Where…where is he?" Xander asked. He turned towards Azura. "I thought you said he would be here!"

"I-I thought so too!" Azura said, stepping forward. "But there's something about this mask though that bothers me."

Corrin frowned as he realized what Azura was saying. "Wait, Azura! Are…are you saying that the statue in front of us is somehow related to Anankos?"

Azura pursed her lips. "I'm…not sure," she said slowly, stepping forward, looking up at the mask. "I've heard people refer to Anankos as 'The Masked Dragon' but I was never really sure if it was meant to be literal or not."

Corrin grunted as he unsheathed Yato and strode forward, towards the mask. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out!" he said, raising the blade behind him.

The entire held their breath as they watched the golden arc descend. Yato bounced cleanly off the stone, carving out a barely noticeable sliver. Corrin cursed and stumbled backward to maintain his balance, and as he did so, a low rumble shook throughout the entire castle.

Everyone slowly turned their heads up at the ceiling, wary for any signs of cracks or collapse. As they did so, Azura noticed something out the corner of her eye.

"Look!" she said, pointing.

Everyone directed their gaze back towards the mask, or more accurately, the mask's chin, considering the fact that oval-shaped face was easily more than fifty feet tall. Corrin took a step backward as a black smoke snaked its way out from behind the mask.

"Azura?" he called. "What is this?"

"I-I don't know," she replied, uncertainty plastered across her face for once. "I never heard or read about—"

" _CHILD OF MY ENEMY, WHY HAVE YOU COME?_ ", a voice rumbled, shaking the chamber even more. " _I OFFER NO MERCY OR FORGIVENESS, FOR A FATHER'S SINS PASSES TO HIS SON."_

Corrin's jaw dropped as the chamber continued to shake even more, and as he watched, the mask  _moved_ , a thick, scaly, almost-draconic neck pulsing and writhing behind it as it rose up to look down at him and the army. Though there was no visible change in the mask's expression, there was an air of contempt around it as the mask gazed down at him.

"Are…are you Anankos?" Corrin asked, squinting his eyes to avoid being blinded by the dust falling from the ceiling.

" _I AM THE FORGOTTEN GOD,_ " the voice rumbled again. " _THE BETRAYED KING. THE BURIED DRAGON."_

The mask swept itself low to the ground towards Corrin. Everyone shuffled backwards, swords being unsheathed and spearpoints leveled towards the mask and the inhuman neck writhing behind it. The mask paused a few feet away from Corrin, who stepped backwards.

" _CORRIN…"_  Anankos rumbled. " _I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU."_

"So you really are Anankos then, huh?" Corrin muttered. Raising his voice, he pointed Yato towards the giant stone mask resting in front of him and shouted, "You've been toying with us humans for far too long! You've destroyed Valla, robbed Azura of her family and childhood, but most importantly you're the one responsible for instigating the war between Hoshido and Nohr. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Anankos chuckled, a low rumbling sound which caused the very ground to shake. " _TELL ME CORRIN,"_  he said. " _WHY?"_

"…Why what?"

" _WHY IS IT WRONG TO MANIPULATE YOU HUMANS?"_  Anankos asked. _"YOU ARE WEAK. YOU ARE STUPID. YOU ARE BARBARIC AND VIOLENT. HUMANITY HAS FORGOTTEN ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD—AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ITS POSITION AS NOTHING MORE THAN AMUSEMENT FOR YOUR BENEFACTORS. THE SOLE REASON HUMANITY EXISTS IS SO THAT DRAGONS CAN HAVE SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT. SO TELL ME WHY, CORRIN! WHY AM_ _ **I**_ _THE ONE TO SUFFER? WHY AM_ _ **I**_ _THE ONE TO BE DIE? WHY IS THAT HUMANITY FLOURISHES WHILE I AM BURIED IN VALLA, IGNORED? FORGOTTEN?_ _ **TELL ME WHY!**_ _"_

"Everyone! Get back!" Xander shouted. "Back!"

A low thunder of feet sounded as everyone scrambled backwards, eager to escape the wrath of the dragon's mask, which was now thrashing about, akin to that of a child throwing a temper tantrum. Corrin backflipped through the air and landed lithely next to Azura, Ryoma, and Xander. Azura's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on her naginata, her other hand clutching at her pendant.

"Oh my," she whispered.

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked. "Is this not Anankos?"

"It is," she replied, "but when I heard talk about how people called Anankos mad…I didn't expect him to be…this deranged."

"Well, that's what the word 'mad,' usually means," Leo said. He turned towards Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander. "So what's the plan?"

Everyone, including Azura, turned towards him, their faces hopeful and wanting to hear some sort of plan from him. Corrin blinked and looked back towards the thrashing dragon.

"Well, it's the same as before," he said with much more confidence than he actually felt. "Everyone with a divine weapon, meaning me, Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, and Leo—everyone I just mentioned, they're responsible for tackling and hitting Anankos as hard as they can, and with everything they got. As for Azura…as much as I hate it, see if you can use your song to weaken him somewhat, at the very least distract him. The  _moment_  you feel like you're about to collapse, I want you at the back of the army, where our mages and healers can clear you up."

"What about the rest of us?" Laslow asked. "We still gotta get paid!"

Corrin pursed his lips. "Do you ever stop thinking about getting paid, Laslow?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "As for the rest of you, try to support the people using divine weapons as much as you can. Clear a path for us, so that we can have a straight shot towards Anankos. Keep those soldiers off our backs, and so long as our resolve holds strong, we will not fail!"

Corrin noticed that the rest of the soldiers were huddling around him. Some looked scared, some dejected, but all wanting to hear some sort of inspiration,  _anything_ to help bolster their resolve. And so Corrin did so.

He pumped his fist into the air. "We've come too far to give up now. If you get hurt or wounded, hit back even harder. If you get killed…well, then walk it off. All of us have lost something because of Anankos, whether it be our mothers, our childhoods, our futures, or our friends—all of it ends today. The world is at stake here, so don't falter! Fight for this world, for your future, but most importantly, your future! We will cut into their lines, and show that dragons that humanity is more than just a plaything for dragons to bat around at a whim. And nothing... _nothing_  is going to get in our way!"

Everyone gave a shout of approval as they pumped their own fists into the air before unsheathing their weapons and charged forward towards Anankos, with Corrin, Azura, Xander, and Ryoma at the forefront, with Takumi, Leo, and the rest of their respective retainers trailing behind. The rest of the army followed suit, inspired into action by seeing the sight of their leaders charging forward.

Corrin took a place at the forefront of the charge. It was the fastest and easiest way to get himself killed, he knew, but the men needed to see him braving the same dangers they faced, and with determination to boot. It would. He hoped in the back of his mind, help stiffen their spines further and keep them from breaking rank at the first sign of serious opposition. For whatever happened, Anankos was  _not_  going to go down easy.

Of that, he was sure.

Anankos' mask suddenly stopped thrashing as it noticed the army bearing down at him. A pair of fell orbs lit in the mask's closed eyes as it roared, the stone around the mask's mouth cracking and separating to create a type of pseudo-mouth.

" _ANSWER ME,"_  he roared. " _TELL ME, YOU PATHETIC HUMANS."_

"How… _this_  for an answer?" Corrin shouted, tensing his legs and springing twenty, thirty feet into the air, aided by the sudden transformation of his legs into their draconic counterpart. The increased strength helped him jump higher than any human, and as he fell, he put all his strength, determination, fear, and resolve into one, devastating blow with Yato, the golden blade cleaving through the air, hissing, as it descended onto the mask's nose.

The blade bounced off like it was nothing, and Corrin grunted as he crashed into the giant stone face and slid to the ground.

"Corrin!" Azura shouted.

As if a coin had flipped, the mood shifted. The army slowed to a halt at the sight of their prince struggling to his feet.

Corrin grimaced in pain as he reached down to pick up Yato. As he looked back up at the statue, the sight of the unmarred mask caused a pit to form in his stomach.

"Nothing?" he whispered. "Not even a scratch?"

Anankos reared his head back and roared at Corrin, causing him to skid back ever-so-slightly by the force of his rage.

" _YOU DARE?_ " Anankos roared. " _YOU_ _ **DARE**_ _TO BARE YOUR TEETH AT ME? LASHING OUT WITH THAT PATHETIC TOOTHPICK THAT MY FOOL OF A FRIEND CREATED TO KILL ME? YOU'RE ONE OF MY BLOODLINE, AND YET YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO STRIKE YOUR ELDER? I WILL KILL YOU, CORRIN, AND THEN I'LL KILL YOUR CARCASS._ _ **YOU WILL BECOME A VESSEL FOR ME!**_ "

All around them, shouts of panic and surprise rose up from the rest of the army as countless Vallites emerged out the shadows on the walls or the pools of water on the floor. Sounds of fighting soon broke out, and Corrin could dimly hear the voices of Silas and Leo shouting and trying to organize their ranks.

"It's a trap!" Leo shouted.

"Push them back! Don't let them get to the royals!"

Corrin grimaced as he struggled to his feet, looking at Yato hanging loosely from his hand. "How…how did this happen? The Rainbow Sage said that Yato was the only weapon capable of truly killing Anankos, but it didn't even do anything!"

" _DID YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT OLD FOOL?"_  Anankos asked. " _WHAT GIVES YOU THE IDEA THAT YOU'LL SUCCEED WHERE EVEN THE TORN OUT PORTION OF MY SOUL COULD NOT?"_

Corrin looked up at the giant stone mask in confusion. "'Torn out portion of your soul?'" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

Though the eyes on the stone mask remained closed, a spark of malevolent light shone through them for a split second, causing Corrin to involuntarily shudder.

"Corrin!"

Corrin turned around to see Ryoma and Xander waving towards him, their weapons drawn and leveled towards Anankos. "Didn't you say that you won't try to challenge Anankos by yourself?" Azura asked from somewhere behind them.

"We came this far to  _help_  you take him down, remember?" Takumi reminded. "At the very least, let us have a part of the fun and glory this time."

" _IMPUDENT_ _ **FOOLS**_ ," Anankos jeered. " _AS IF YOU SIMPLE CREATURES COULD EVER HOPE TO STOP A DRAGON."_

Anankos reared his head back, a brilliant ball of violet light, streams of what appeared to be water cascading across the surface of it, gathering above his mouth. Corrin realized what was going to happen a half-second too late.

"Run!"

Anankos hurled the death orb towards Ryoma, Azura, and Xander. A brilliant light shone through the chamber, and then the floor exploded in front of them.

"No!" Corrin shouted, reaching towards them. Next to him, Yato clattered noisily to the ground.

"No, no, no…" Corrin muttered to himself as he ran over to where his siblings were last standing. As he neared the massive cloud of dust billowing outwards, a blue light started to shine through the rubble.

Corrin slowed to a halt as the visages of Ryoma, Takumi, Xander, and Leo all kneeling or crouching, as if expecting a heavy blow, which, considering the circumstances, was the only obvious explanation. Standing in front of them, arms spread out, pendant floating magically in front of her chest, was Azura, her song echoing eerily throughout the chamber and causing a familiar energy to course through Corrin's veins.

"Azura…?"

Slowly, as they realized that they were, in fact, not dead yet, and that they were also feeling the rejuvenating effects of Azura's song, based on Ryoma opening and closing his hand and flexing his biceps, they slowly stood back upright and glared at Anankos, who merely snorted in annoyance.

" _OF COURSE THE RHEOS SAVES YOU,"_  he jeered. " _HER BLOODLINE HAS BEEN A THORN IN MY SCALES FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND ITS ABOUT TIME I HAD ANOTHER ONE OF YOU IN MY SERVICE."_

"Never!" Azura shouted back, her normally calm and reserved voice replaced with desperation, grief, and above all else, anger. "Ever since your descent into madness, you've been nothing but a plague on Valla!"

" _ME?_ " Anankos asked mockingly. " _PLEASE, I WAS THE ONE WHO_ SAVED _YOU. WERE IT NOT FOR ME, YOU HUMANS WOULD'VE DRIVEN YOURSELVES TO EXTINCTION LONG BEFORE I ACTUALLY WENT MAD."_

"So…so you did all this? Voluntarily?" Takumi asked in hushed whispers.

Anankos swung his head around to look at Takumi, who yelped and jumped backwards at the sight of the mask staring at him. " _OF COURSE,"_  Anankos said. " _HOW COULD ANYONE BE DEPRAVED ENOUGH TO WILLINGLY COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE?"_

"You're insane!" Xander shouted, dark waves of energy pulsing off of Siegfried in response to his emotions. "How could you even say that? You knew you were killing your people, stop being a coward and admit it!"

"And if you're truly a king," Ryoma added, "you shouldn't have forced your people to bend to your wills! That's not how a true king acts!"

" _DON'T YOU DARE LECTURE ME,"_  Anankos roared. Those two pricks of red light shone again in the mask's eyes as Anankos began to thrash. " _YOU ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR MY IMPRISONMENT, THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DESCENT INTO MADNESS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU MEDDLING CHILDREN, PERHAPS I WOULD'VE NEVER GONE MAD, DID YOU THINK OF THAT? OH, BUT YOU DIDN'T, NOW DID YOU? ALWAYS SO SELF ABSORBED, YOUR RACE IS. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BENEFACTORS, ONLY IN YOUR OWN SELF INTERESTS."_

"They had no choice!" Corrin protested. "You killed Azura's father and destroyed their main source of resources and food! They had every reason to hate and exile you! And look where you are now! In the exact same scenario, every Valla feared would happen if they had just left you alone!"

" _EXCUSES,"_  Anankos retorted. " _THE ONLY REASON HUMANITY HAS LIVED AS LONG AS THEY HAVE IS BECAUSE I_ LET _THEM. IF I WANTED TO, I COULD'VE DESTROYED BOTH HOSHIDO AND NOHR THE MOMENT I ASCENDED TO THE THRONE, AND NOW THAT I HAVE, THAT'LL BE WHAT I'M GOING TO DO FIRST, AS SOON AS I GRIND YOUR BONES INTO DUST."_

Leo quickly took Corrin and Azura's arm. "There's literally no point trying to reason with him," he whispered in their ears. "Evidently, his sanity left him a long time ago, and the longer you guys stand here, trying to reason with him, the more of our men are dying trying to save our skins."

Azura nodded, and Corrin twirled Yato around in his hand. "Alright then," he said, turning to face Xander, Leo, Azura, Ryoma, and Takumi. "This is it, our final battle. Leo, you cast as many spells and see if you can slow down Anankos. Takumi, keep a sharp eye at the enemies around us. The instant you see them turn their attention on us, you plant an arrow in their head. We can't afford any distractions, no matter how small. Got it?"

"With pleasure," both princes said simultaneously.

"Ryoma, Xander." Corrin placed a hand on both men's shoulders. "I hate relegating you guys to the sidelines while I take all the so-called 'glory,' but I need you two up there with me. The two of you are going to be up there, supporting me. Attack Anankos to distract him, and while his attention is trained on you, I'll attack back."

The two men nodded, grim-faced and serious.

"What about me?" Azura asked. "Same as before?"

Corrin nodded. "Sing your song, try to support us as much as you can and rejuvenate us when you see that we're starting to get tired. If we're not, then help Ryoma and Xander deal with the enemies around us as I attack Anankos."

"Remember," Corrin reminded as he took her hand in his own. "the  _instant_  you feel like you're about to collapse, you're to fall back to the rest of our army and see if you can find a healer. Preferably Sakura or Elise."

"Is that it?" Leo asked. "Is that your master plan?"

Corrin rubbed his chin, glancing out the corner of his eye to check that Anankos was still thrashing about. "Just one last thing," he said. "Leo, Ryoma, Takumi, Xander, I know you've probably seen this type of battle countless times before, so this is really more for Azura's sake than yours, but remember: we're on the defensive here. Our troops are trying to give us as much time as they can at the cost of their own lives, which means that for every soldier that falls, Anankos gets a boost to his forces. The fighting is going to be chaotic, brutal. Allies probably won't recognize you at first, at least until they swing a sword at you and realize that you're one of them, so be careful."

All five of them nodded. Behind them, Anankos slowly stopped thrashing and looked down at the group with something close to amusement.

" _HOW AMUSING…"_  he mused. " _LOOK AT THE LITTLE HUMANS, PRETENDING THEY COULD COMPETE WITH A GOD…ARE YOU PRAYING THAT SOME KIND, BENEVOLENT GOD WILL PROVIDE YOU ONE FINAL BLESSING BEFORE I CRUSH YOUR BONES AND GRIND THE SHARDS INTO DUST?_ "

"Not really!" Takumi shouted back. "If anything, you should be the one praying!"

"Also, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with crushing objects and grinding them into dust!" Leo added on snarkily.

The two red lights reappeared in the mask's empty eyes as Anankos threw his head back and roared, the pseudo-mouth opening and closing.

" _HOW DARE YOU INSULT AND THREATEN ME?"_  he raged. " _IT IS I WHO SHOULD BE THREATENING YOU, NOT YOU!"_

"Scatter!" Ryoma shouted as Anankos drew his head back to cast another fell orb towards them.

Corrin pushed Takumi away, covering his body with his own. Picking a piece of rubble out of his hair, Corrin drew Yato and charged towards Anankos, shouting a war-cry. As he charged, he realized somewhere in the back of his mind that a golden light was emanating from his right, but he didn't dare take his eyes off the dragon in front of him.

Uttering an even louder war-cry, Corrin leaped up. As he fell, he turned Yato around so that he was holding it in a reverse grip and plunged the tip into Anankos' forehead.

To both of their shock, this time, Yato cut through the mask's stone skin as easily as a scythe through paper. Yato sank up to its hilt, whereupon Corrin started to slide back down Anankos' face, much like before, only this time, he was actually successful in his attack.

About halfway down Anankos' face, the dragon roared in pain and thrashed his head around, flinging Corrin towards Azura. The songstress and half-dragon grunted in pain as they collided with each, knocking Azura off her feet.

"Sorry!" Corrin apologized. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Azura said, brushing off some dust on her dress. "What about…"

Corrin glanced at her out the corner of his eyes as he noticed how her voice died. Azura despised poor manners, so stopping her sentence partway through was certainly unusual for her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Azura gestured feebly at Corrin's hand. She tried to compose herself but failed. "Yato," she breathed. "What did you do?"

"Yato?" Corrin frowned and looked down at his weapon, and to his amazement, instead of the Yato Corrin normally knew and wielded, in his hand was a different sword. Same golden color, and still radiating power, but this time, it radiated a different  _kind_  of power. Something greater, more omniscient.

"The Fire Emblem?"

Unlike before, where Yato had a double-edged blade with a relatively wide crossguard and a knuckleguard to protect Corrin's hands, the sword Corrin now held in his hand was more ornate, with the knuckleguard removed and a widened crossguard. The tip of the sword had been replaced with a fiery design, which looked like it was very much real, while chainsaw-like teeth ran up and down the sides of the blade, replacing the edges with dozens of rotating razor blades. Unlike before, where Yato took on a golden and occasionally blue glow, the Yato Corrin now held was bathe in shades of red and golden.

Beside him, Xander, Takumi, Ryoma, and Leo all looked at him in awe, forgetting for a brief moment that they were still in battle. In front of them, however, Anankos continued to thrash and roar in pain, ignoring them.

"What…happened to Yato?" Takumi asked. "Did…it transform or something?"

"I…I don't know," Corrin replied. He held the sword in front of him, high above his head. "The Rainbow Sage said something about needing to combine Yato with the other divine weapons in order to awaken the Seal of Flames."

"Com…bine?" Xander said slowly, uncharacteristically unsure. "Like, sacrifice?"

"I don't think so," Ryoma said. "We still have our weapons, so I doubt they've been sacrificed in some way."

"It honestly looks like our weapons are feeding the Yato a constant stream of power," Leo mused. "Perhaps that has something to do with it?"

Sure enough, a faint but noticeable line of colored smoke trailed from each of the other divine weapons toward Yato, filling the four once-empty slots on the flat of the blade.

Corrin twirled the new Omega Yato around himself curiously. "Maybe," he said. "All The Rainbow Sage said was that the other divine weapons would react with Yato to create the ultimate dragon-killing weapon, but we've been practically living with each other for the past year. Why would it react now?"

"That's not important right now," Ryoma said sternly, turning back to the wave of enemies in front of them. "We're still in the middle of a battle right now."

"Seconded," Xander agreed. "Don't worry, little prince," he said soothingly upon seeing Corrin's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Our power is yours, and now that Yato has been fully unlocked, not even Anankos can stand in your way."

"Yeah, c'mon!" Takumi said, lightly clapping Corrin in the shoulder as he nocked another arrow into Fujin Yumi and sending it into a Vallite's helmet on the other side of the throne room. "Now's not exactly the best time for us to fall apart, if you hadn't noticed."

Corrin looked back instinctively towards Azura, silently asking for her confirmation. In response, she simply half-shrugged, half-nodded.

 _The path is yours to climb_ , she said with her eyes

Corrin nodded back towards her and strode forward confidently towards Anankos. The dragon slowly settled back down as he noticed the lone, pale figure walking towards him.

" _FOOL…"_  Anankos chuckled. " _ACT BRAVE AND AS IF YOU ARE DESTINY'S CHOSEN CHILD ALL YOU WANT. IT WON'T CHANGE YOUR FATE. I AM IMMORTAL. I AM KING. I…AM…_ _ **ANANKOS**_."

Corrin remained silent, instead electing to break out into a full-on charge towards Anankos, with Ryoma and Xander beside him. Leo, Takumi, and Azura fell in behind them, taking advantage of the space Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander cleared in their charge.

In front of them, Anankos swung his head around, breathing a wave of fetid air as a group of Vallites slowly rose out of the blackened stones, their red eyes focusing on the three offenders charging towards them. Corrin gripped Yato tighter in preparation to fight his way through, but before he could do so much as raise Yato, the air next to him hissed, bright and hot, before all of the Vallites dropped simultaneously to the found, dissipating completely into water before their helms even hit the floor. All the while, Azura's voice floated eerily over the sounds of the battlefield, not necessarily replacing it, but being a constant and soothing presence nonetheless.

Anankos growled again, and swung his head side-to-side again, this time drawing out three enormous Faceless. Red lights gleamed in their helmet holes as they raised their shackled fists.

Again, before Corrin could react, a bright green, glowing arrow buried themselves in each of the Faceless' helmets, where the eyeholes were. Howling in pain, and now blinded by Takumi's pinprick accuracy, they fell like leaves before Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander.

As Corrin pulled Yato out of one of the fallen Faceless' gut, the air around him grew cold, and he felt death pulling at the tips of his fingers.

" _Move!"_  Leo shouted, before unleashing another spell in Anankos' direction.

Corrin jumped forward, flipping through the air, without hesitation. He landed on his hands and knees and spared a glance towards where he had just been standing. Barely a second later, the Faceless' body, along with the ground around it, froze, cracked, and shattered into infinitesimal shards. Corrin suppressed a shudder at the sight, knowing in the back of his mind that had it not been for Leo's warning, he too would've been killed.

Anankos growled in frustration as Xander spurred his charger from a canter into a full-on gallop, pressing himself low to the horse's neck as he readied Siegfried.

"Hiyah!" Xander shouted as he swung Siegfried upwards in a savage uppercut. Anankos howled, this time in what seemed like pain, as his head was thrown back by the force of the blow.

Next to Corrin, Ryoma knelt in place, before blurring and vanishing into thin air, only to reappear on Anankos' turned up face.

" _HOW DARE YOU?"_  Anankos asked, more in incredulity than actual anger at Ryoma's reckless attack. In response, Ryoma raised Raijinto as high as he could, and with both hands, plunged the divine weapon directly into the mask's right eye.

Corrin watched as the tip of the weapon struck the stone. For a second, it looked like the stone would hold, but then a rumble shook the castle, and then an  _honest-to-gods_  bolt of lightning crackled out of the length of the weapons blade before the blade finally quivered, shook, and sank up to its hilt.

Anankos roared in agony and thrashed his head around. Ryoma just barely had time to pull Raijinto out of Anankos' face and jump off to land safely next to Takumi before Anankos smashed the spot where he had been standing into a nearby pillar, causing the entire throne room to shake. A piece of rubble fell out of the ceiling towards Takumi, who managed to roll out of the way just in the nick of time.

"Don't let him destroy the pillars, dumbass!" Takumi shouted as he dusted himself off, "We're still in here!"

Xander brought his charger back around in preparation for another charge, but before he could do so much as raise Siegfried, Anankos suddenly swung his head towards them, using his massive neck and heavy stone mask as a club.

As fast as the dragon swung towards Xander, Leo was faster still. A green rune, similar to the one they had used to transport everyone across the rope bridge outside appeared around Xander's feet. Without warning, Xander suddenly flew into the air, towards Leo. It was all he could do to keep his grip on Siegfried as he crashed into the ground next to Takumi.

Another, much larger, set of runes also appeared around the hooves of Xander's charger, and the beast rose a few feet into the air before Anankos completely smashed his head into where Xander had just been sitting, causing a fountain of blood and gore to smear everywhere

"No!" Xander shouted as he reached out towards where the horse had been standing.

Corrin ignored him as he quickly pushed away a Vallite berserker he was dueling as he ran past him and Takumi. As he ran, he willed his wings to unfurl out from his body. As he partially transformed, he felt a familiar energy curl itself around his legs. In the last few seconds before his draconic vision overtook his normal vision, he saw streams of water crawl up his legs, rejuvenating them and soothing his already-aching muscles.

Corrin silently thanked Azura for the boost in strength before he crouched, tensed his legs, and leapt upwards. As he jumped, his wings fully unfurled themselves and flapped furiously, providing him an extra bit of push. A pool of water suddenly appeared beneath his feet as he jumped, and as he pushed off the floor, the water thickened, almost as if it was alive, and gave him an even greater push.

As he flew through the air, all the fighting in the room came to a standstill as Corrin raised the Yato above his head for what looked to be his final attack. Anankos turned his head upwards at Corrin as he opened his pseudo-mouth. Inside was a single, bright orange eye rimmed with a burning sclera, which glared at him leeringly before another fell orb materialized in front of it.

Corrin quickly angled his wings so that he could dodge the death orb. The shot missed him by  _less than a hairsbreadth._ Anankos roared in anger and pain as Corrin landed on top of him. His hands scrabbling for any sort of handhold, Corrin raised Yato and plunged it into Anankos' mask.

Anankos roared in pain and thrashed his head around, trying to dislodge him. Corrin held on for dear life as he stabbed Anankos again and again.

" _INSOLENT…HUMAN!"_  Anankos roared.

After what felt like an eternity of thrashing, Anankos managed to dislodge Corrin's grip by smashing his head through another couple of pillars. Corrin grimaced and released his hold on Anankos' face as slivers of stone flew all around him, several leaving red cuts in what skin was exposed. As Corrin flew through the air, Anankos opened his pseudo-mouth and breathed another fell orb towards him.

Corrin quickly transformed his free hand into a gaping dragon's jaw and shot a ball of electrically charged water towards the projectile. The ball of electrified water swallowed the fell orb as easily as a frog swallowed a fly, and continued onwards towards Anankos' cracked mask.

For a split second, the orange eye in the mask's pseudo-jaw widened in what looked like fear, before Corrin's shot collided with it. A flash of light, brighter than the sun, exploded outwards from the point of impact, and all was still.

* * *

Silas snapped his head to the side to avoid an incoming arrow. Scowling, he hefted his lance in his right hand and threw it across the room at the offending archer. The Vallite's undead eyes widened in what could've been surprise, if it wasn't for the knowledge that all of the enemies they were currently fighting were just puppets being resurrected by Anankos.

The archer managed to duck underneath the projectile, causing the lance to shatter uselessly against the wall. Silas scowled before drawing his cavalry sword. It wasn't necessarily that he  _hated_  using a sword, but it just felt  _wrong_  to use something with so little range. How Corrin managed to survive using what was basically a glorified broadsword, Silas would never know, but for now, that was the least of his concerns.

Silas raised his sword and shouted another war cry as he brought his weapon down on a Faceless charging towards him. The beast raised it arms over its head to protect itself. The sword cut through the sinew and muscle almost absurdly easily, and the monster crumpled backwards and dissipated into purple smoke.

Silas sighed and wiped his forehead clear of sweat as he looked towards the front of the throne room, where Corrin, Lady Azura, and their respective brothers from their sides of the family were busy fighting Anankos.

A huge plume of smoke billowed upwards as he faintly heard what sounded like Lord Xander screaming "No!"

To his right, a Vallite spearman suddenly clutched at his neck, where a trio of shurikens decided to plant themselves in his neck out of their own accord. As the Vallite vaporized into water, Kaze stepped over the weapon clattering to the floor.

"How's it going?" Silas asked, raising an arm in greeting.

Though Kaze's general expression remained unchanged, there was a noticeable tightening of his lips. "Poorly," he admitted. "Our men are being pushed back, and for every warrior that we lose, the Vallites gain another soldier."

Silas scowled and ran his heads through his hair as he looked around the battlefield. From his elevated position on his horse, he could see slightly more of the melee, but only slightly.

"Tell the men to strengthen our left flank," he ordered, pointing towards the aforementioned clump of soldiers. "If we lose the left flank, the enemy is liable to circle around us and trap us in their center, which isn't exactly the greatest thing."

"What about the right flank?" Kaze asked. "Surely, if our left flank is having trouble, then so is the right."

Silas glanced towards where Peri and Laslow were busy slicing their way through a lance of soldiers, with Laslow making the scene look more of an artfully staged play than a battle. Beside them, Benny and Effie roared as they put their shields together and charged forward into a blockade of spearmen, causing mass panic among the Vallites and giving the rest of Corrin's elite guard space to swing their weapons.

"I think we're going to be fine on the right," Silas admitted. "You have to say, Corrin's got a real knack for picking out the good ones."

"I…suppose," Kaze agreed slowly. "But surely, you can afford to send a  _couple_  men over to assist the mages, right?"

"I already did," Silas said dismissively. "I ordered—"

A roar from where Corrin and Anankos were fighting interrupted him. Kaze blanched, which for one normally so composed and in control, spoke volumes. "That can't be—"

"Quiet!" Silas tightened his grip on his sword. Throughout the throne room, soldiers, both alive and undead, paused and looked towards the great dragon.

"Kill that bastard," Silas muttered. "Do it!"

For a few moments, they heard nothing else of note besides the sounds of individual skirmishes, and then a white blur flew out of the confines of the battle. Anankos raised his head to look up at the white blur descending towards him. Silas noticed somewhere in the back of his mind about how damaged the mask looked, with cracks spreading across the cheeks and forehead with an entire piece of the stone around the eye simply  _gone._ Anankos opened his jaws to shoot a fell orb towards the blur.

Corrin twisted midair and managed to somehow avoid the attack before seemingly transforming his other hand into a dragon's jaw and shooting a ball of electrified water towards Anankos. Anankos opened his pseudo-jaw again and shot another fell orb towards Corrin, but Corrin's projectile seemed to swallow and overwhelm Anankos'

A split second before Corrin's shot collided with Anankos' face, a flash of light exploded outward in a wall of white and yellow so bright, Silas saw the bones within his own hand as he raised it to cover his eyes before a blast of sound struck him.

It felt as if spikes were being driven into his head. He screamed in pain, but he could not hear himself—nor, after the initial clap of thunder, could he hear anything else. He felt his horse's knees buckle, and a massive wind tore at his hair and clothes, despite them still being underground.

He felt Kaze tackle him out of his horse's saddle as the beast sank to the floor, its hair and skin burned away. As he felt himself fall, Silas caught a whiff of burnt hair.

_I hope that's Kaze's._

The dust forced Silas to squeeze his eyes shut. All he could do was cling to Kaze and wait for the upheaval to be over. He tried to take a breath, but the wind snatched the air from his lips and nose before he could fill his lungs. He felt something striking his head, and his helm went flying off.

The shaking went on and on, but at last the ground grew still again, and Silas opened his eyes, afraid of what he would so.

The air was gray and dim; objects past a few dozen feet were lost in the haze. All of the Vallites had disappeared. Not even their remains or armor remained.

Small chunks of stone rained down all around him. A jagged piece of stone fell from the ceiling and shattered, sending a burst of straw-yellow shards everywhere. One of them struck Silas in the side and lodged in his mail. He quickly plucked it out and threw it away. Smoke trailed from the end of the gloves, and he smelled burnt leather. More pieces of stone fell elsewhere in the chamber.

Silas felt the smell of burning hair return again, and this time, he realized that it was indeed his own hair. Cursing, he quickly dropped his sword and patted the flames down.

The heat of the explosion had thankfully spared him most of his hair, though the warriors who had been standing in the open or closer to the source of the inferno now lay flat on the ground, some still moving, others clearly dead.

Silas glanced at Kaze, who was slowly picking himself off the ground. He had bitten through his bottom lip and blood coated his chin.

"Are you alright?" Silas asked.

It was only then that he realized that the words did nothings except to cause a vibration in his mouth and throat. Kaze frowned and shook his head, pointing to his ears.

"Can't hear," he mouthed.

Could Corrin, Lord Ryoma, Lord Xander, Prince Takumi, Prince Leo, and Lady Azura survived the explosion. Could anyone who had been close to the heart of such an inferno?

A spate of dizziness and nausea caused Silas to lean over and prop himself against Kaze, who in turn leaned on him. As he waited for his balance to return, he thought of the throne room and the castle resting on top, and it suddenly occurred that they might all be in danger.

 _We have to get out before it falls,_  he thought. He coughed up and spat out a globule of blood and dirt on the cobblestones. Then he looked in the direction of where he had last seen Anankos and Corrin. The dust still hid it, but grief threatened to envelope his heart in its endless waves of sadness.

* * *

Darkness. And in that darkness, silence.

Corrin felt himself fall to the ground, a sharp jolt of pain erupting through his left wrist, then…nothing. He could breathe, but the air was stale and lifeless, and when he moved, he could feel his raw skin scraping against the dirt floor.

Seconds more passed.

Without warning, light flooded Corrin's eyes, and an onslaught of noise assailed his ears. Corrin shouted in pain and he winced, clapping his hands over his eyes and blinked while his eyes adjusted.

Through the smoke and haze, he could barely see Anankos' head laying in front of him. As the dust cleared, more of the mask's features became visible. The mask's right eye had completely crumbled away, revealing a single, closed eye. The stone around the mask's lips, where the stone cracked to reveal the pseudo-jaw, had been completely blown away, revealing a dark and shadowed hole where the eye had been.

The mask pulsed and glowed like flesh as wafts of air breathed over it. The air smelled like the taste of iron, and to Azura, the familiar scent of dragon's scales.

The walls of the room were cracked, and the pillars, torches, and lanterns had been pulverized. At the back of the chamber, the beautiful golden doors that had guarded the entrance to the throne room had been blown off their hinges, and Azura thought she glimpsed what looked like daylight at the far end of the hallway that led to the outside.

As she got to her feet, she noticed Ryoma, Leo, Takumi, Xander, and Corrin doing the same. Leo and Takumi's jaws dropped as they stared at the sight of Anankos laying unmoving in front of them. Ryoma and Xander, on the other hand, proceeded to immediately check the nearby soldiers for signs of life.

Xander pounded his fist angrily into the floor as his knees became soaked with the blood of his charger. Ryoma sighed and shook his head when the soldier he was checking on remained motionless. He respectfully closed the man's burned eyes and placed his hands carefully over his chest.

Corrin on the other hand, simply got to his feet and stared at the great dragon in front of him. Picking up her naginata, Azura slowly made her way towards him, ignoring the sticky feeling on the sides of her head.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

When Corrin did not respond, she repeated the question and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was only then that Azura felt a sticky liquid dripping from her ear, and she reached up to touch the wound. With a yelp of pain, she shot her hand pack as jolts of pain wracked through her head.

Corrin's face twisted into a look of concern as he grasped her by the shoulders and looked at her, his eyes running up and down her body, looking for anymore wounds. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

It was only when the pain faded from Azura's head that she noticed that despite her outcry, everything remained silent. She gingerly tapped the sides of her head again.

"Can't hear," she mouthed. "Need healer."

Corrin nodded and pointed towards where Leo and Takumi were being healed by Elise and Sakura. The two girls also had blood sticking to the sides of their heads, but unlike the others, they seemed perfectly capable of hearing. With Corrin leaning on Azura, due to a particularly deep scratch on his leg, the two made their way over to where Sakura and Elise were working.

Upon setting Corrin down near, Sakura quickly ran a critical eye over Azura before casting a healing spell. After a few seconds, Azura felt an almost unbearable itch deep within her ears as Sakura repaired whatever damage Anankos had caused with that final explosion.

When it was over, Sakura swayed unsteadily on her feet, and for a split second, Azura rose from her seat to catch her in case she fell, but Sakura managed to compose herself.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling, though it was apparent that she was most definitely  _not_  fine based on the weathered lines already appearing on her young face. "I…just need a minute to rest."

Azura pursed her lips. "Well, make sure you don't push yourself too hard," she said.

Sakura gave her a small smile. "D-don't worry," she said reassuringly. "We know what needs to be done.

Forcing her rebellious limbs to move, she rose up and walked over to Corrin, who was again standing in front of Anankos, who has yet to move a single inch since that great explosion. Her hands unconsciously wrapped themselves around her pendant, turning it over and over again as she joined Corrin in his uncomfortable silence.

"Is…do you think he's actually dead?" Azura asked.

Corrin shrugged, lines of weariness appearing for once on his young face. "I don't know," he said. "On one hand, if  _we_  survived, why couldn't Anankos? But on the other hand…"

"It'll be better if you actually check to make sure if he's dead or not," Robin's voice said. "I've made that same mistake before, where I thought I had finished off an opponent, only for them to come back and stab me in the back."

Corrin and Azura turned to see Robin walking towards them, carrying a bundle of blue cloth in his arms, with the strange sword Laslow, Selena, and Odin had found strapped to his waist. It was only until Robin stepped closer to them that Corrin realized that the bundle of cloth was actually a woman.

The woman was horribly emaciated, her cheeks sallow. Her torn clothes barely covered her pale, emaciated body, and for a second, he thought she was truly dead, until he noticed the barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her bones and ribs stood out in sharp relief underneath her translucent skin.

Her blue veins were also very prominent. Sores, belonging to manacles, a sight and feeling Corrin was well used to, had formed along her wrists and ankles. Ulcers oozed a mixture of clear fluid and blood, and parts of the woman's long, dark blue hair had turned either gray or white and hung loosely in lank, greasy ropes over her pock-marked face.

But despite the gruesome sight, there was no mistaking that the woman had once been a great beauty at some point in her life. That much was obvious by the strong and somewhat jutting features plastered on her thin and sallow face. Even on Death's doorstep, Corrin could tell that the woman was a fighter.

"I found her in the dungeons," Robin explained, upon noticing Corrin and Azura's newfound interest in the woman cradled in his arms. "By my reckoning, she's been down there for…quite some time.

"But…that shouldn't be possible," Azura said slowly, frowning. "When Anankos attacked, those who were imprisoned were one of the first to be turned into his puppets."

"Not her," Robin said simply, brushing a lock of the woman's hair out of her face. "She's…like me. Different. From another world."

"Who is she?" Corrin asked, leaning in closer to peer at the woman. Her eyes suddenly parted, revealing some sort of brand in her left eye. The brand was just a shade lighter compared to the blue of her irises, and Corrin rose an eyebrow at the sight.

Corrin opened his mouth to ask about the brand, but Robin interrupted him by shifting the woman up a foot so that he could reach into his pocket to pull out some sort of crystal. "That's not important," he said dismissively. "All you need to know is that she's very important."

"To who?" Azura asked.

"To both me and a number of other people too," Robin replied. "Namely her father, her mother…a lot of people."

"Where is she from?"

Robin blew a tuft of hair out his eyes impatiently. "I just said it," he said somewhat annoyed. "From the same world I came from. Pay attention."

"What's that crystal for?" Azura asked, pointing at aforementioned object.

"Hm? This?" Robin asked, giving them a clearer view of the crystal. "Oh, this is just a crystal, given to me by one of my closest confidants."

"What does it do?" Corrin asked, leaning in closer to Robin to get a better look at the crystal.

"Hey, back up there," Robin warned. "I don't want you near me when this thing takes me back to my world."

"'Back to your world?'" Corrin asked.

Robin nodded. "I think it's pretty much common knowledge between everyone in this army that I'm not from Hoshido, Nohr, or even Valla. I came here of my own volition, both to find her," he looked down at the woman, "and because three of my past allies requested my assistance in finishing off another war."

"You say that like you've done it before," Corrin said, echoing one of their past conversations.

"So you're leaving," Azura said, somewhat bluntly. "When we're in the middle of our final battle."

Robin shrugged apologetically, or at least as much as he could with a woman in his arms. "Unfortunately," he said. "As impressive as your step-sisters are when it comes to the quintessential basics of healing, they'll be practically useless when it comes to dealing with my friend here."

"Careful there," Corrin warned. "Elise and Sakura are some of the best healers I know. You've—"

"I wasn't referring their level of skill," Robin said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just saying, healing what looks like several months of starvation and torture on a battlefield doesn't seem the most…comfortable for both healer and patient, now does it?"

Corrin sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I guess not…"

"And besides," Robin said nonchalantly, "You have your healers, and I have my own. Only unlike yours, mine aren't teenagers. Mine are…slightly older teenagers. In their mid-twenties, by this point, I think."

"'You think?'"

"Hey, I've been searching for her the past five years," Robin said defensively, looking down at the woman again. "So what if I haven't seen my family since?"

Corrin's eyebrows nearly jumped off his face, while Azura looked between the two men, a faint expression of bemusement plastered on her face. "You have a  _family?"_

"No, no," Robin chuckled. "I'm saying that my family are more metaphorical than literal. You know when you get to know someone so well you might as well consider yourself brothers?"

Corrin glanced at where Ryoma and Xander were being patched up by Sakura and Elise. "I guess so…"

"Well, that's basically the bond I share between me and my friend," Robin said. "We've been through…basically everything at this point. Wars, fights, arguments, marriages…you name it, we've done it."

"W-wait, you're married to a  _man_?"

"And you're leaving right now?" Azura asked at the same time.

"First off," Robin said, glaring at Corrin, "I'm  _not_  married to a man. I'm very much attracted towards women. It's…just that I'm not married at all. I just happen to have a daughter. From the future."

"What?"

"Don't ask. Secondly, yes, I am leaving. Right  _now_. Part of the reason why I accepted Ini—Laslow, Selena, and Odin's invitation to help your force at all was because I wanted to see if I could find her," he said, gesturing towards the woman.

"What's the other part?"

"I can't say," Robin said. "I'm sorry, but Laslow, Selena, and Odin made me promise I wouldn't tell you anything regarding where I came from, my past, or my knowledge of this world. The only thing I can tell you is that I was a trustworthy individual capable of leading your forces to survival, which I did, and that I won't kill you, which I didn't do."

"You know, if you desert now, any and all soldiers of Hoshi and Nohr will have the authority to hunt you down and kill you on sight, right?" Corrin asked.

If Robin picked up on the threat, he did not show it. Instead, he smirked. "Yes, well, I think it's pretty obvious to both of us at this point that since I'm not of this world, your laws and rules don't apply to me, no? Secondly, both of you know how hard it can be to track down someone who's…let says,  _in a different dimension than your hunters_ , right?"

"So you'll just going to leave us, right before we claim victory?" Azura asked again.

" _Never_  assume you've won just because the enemy hasn't shown any signs of movement," Robin said sternly. "And yes, I'm going to leave.  _Right_   _now_. This crystal is the only thing that'll allow me to travel back to my own world without needing to kill another dragon, and besides the obvious reasons of why I can't, namely because I've done it before and it nearly killed me, but also because this mountain is yours to climb. The longer I stay here, and the bigger of an impact I make, the sooner this crystal is going to break. Judging on how cracked this crystal is, I reckon I only have less than half and hour before I'm trapped here permanently."

"What do you mean, 'impact?'" Corrin asked.

"Oh, I don't know, saving your entire army from oblivion, where the normal course of action would've been your army being completely and systematically wiped out?" Robin said impatiently. "Look, I have less than ten minutes to say my farewells to you, explain why I need to leave, and cast the necessary spells to transport me back to my world, so I would  _really_  appreciate it if you would stop asking questions."

Azura placed a hand on Corrin's arm. "Well, what you say is true, then we both thank you for your service. We promise that your name will go down in history for being one of the most pivotal figures in recent history."

"You have my gratitude as well," Corrin said half-heartedly, "Thought I hate letting one of my allies go for no good reason."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it too much," Robin said as he stepped back. "It's like this one story I heard before. A hero gets summoned from their home to help a city overcome a grave threat, but he realizes that there's only so much he could do before he dies, so he tries to do as much as he can before he, you know, dies."

"I…don't think that's a real story," Corrin said, confused.

Robin shrugged again and clenched the crystal tighter in his hand. Cracks were now starting to break out across the surface of the gem, and a yellow rune started to appear beneath Robin's feet. "Different world, remember?" he said. "And besides, that's not the point of the metaphor. One day, history will look at you two as being star-crossed lovers, when in reality, both of you were just cousins looking for someone they could both relate to. Not saying that's a bad thing, but it's up to you whether you want your story to be what I just called it, a story, or not."

Both Corrin and Azura looked away from each other, embarrassed. Azura hid her face in the endless swathes of her hair, but Corrin managed to suppress the flush overtaking his face as he looked up at Robin, who was now floating into the air.

"Take care!" he called, raising an arm. "Make sure you give your 'family' my regards!"

"I will, once they stop throttling me around for being gone for so long!" Robin replied. "Farewell! Good luck!"

Around them, soldiers from both Hoshido and Nohr looked on as Robin rose even higher into the air. Whispers of confusion and amazement quickly rose throughout the men as Robin looked at them, feeling somewhat detached.

_Just another future saved._

In his arms, the woman stirred slightly again, and this time, her eyes opened all the way. "Robin?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a strained rasp. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it," he said gently, placing a finger over her lip. "You're safe now. I'm going to take you home."

Lucina stared at him for a moment more, before closing her eyes and nestling her head in the crook of his arm. "I'm…so glad," she said, before drifting off into a deep, natural sleep.

Everyone watched at the rune grew brighter and brighter. Corrin and Azura were forced to avert their gaze as the light grew to an unbearable intensity, and with a rather anti-climactic  _shing_  sound, both Robin and the woman vanished.

Rubbing his eyes, Corrin and Azura looked at where Robin and the woman had been floating just a moment ago.

"That's…rather unfortunate," Azura noted, somewhat dryly.

"Yep."

"…"

"…"

"Should…should we head back to the front of the army?"

"I think that's a good idea."

* * *

The two of them walked together where Ryoma, Xander, the rest of their siblings, and the remainder of their army were standing, their weapons trained untrustingly towards Anankos. As Corrin pushed his way to the front of the army, he noticed the healed wounds and scars on many of the men, and he made a note in the back of his head to personally thank the healers later.

"Where's that tactician?" Leo asked. "And what was that light?"

"That light  _was_  the tactician, and he decided now would be a good time for him to leave," Corrin explained.

"And you just  _let_  him?" Takumi said angrily. "He was the only thing keeping our men alive, and you just  _let_  him go?"

"Peace, Takumi," Azura chided. "We'll explain his reasons later, after we determine whether or not Anankos is truly vanquished. Keep your retorts in check—for now."

Grumbling, Takumi turned away, nocking another arrow in Fujin Yumi and pointing it towards Anankos.

Seeing the divine weapon reminded Corrin to look down at his waist where Yato always hung. As it had done before, when the Rainbow Sage had transformed the Yato for the first time, the scabbard had changed too.

Before, it had just been a simple sheath, adorned with a light blue trim to match the weapon's own trim, but now, it was vastly different. The material in the center had been removed, so that the length of Yato's blade and the four slots were visible, even when sheathed. A patch of warm leather covered the edges of the blade, where the miniature saws were located. Despite the material feeling as soft and warm as any leather, they've yet to break under the stress of Yato's newfound edge.

Corrin looked up, and upon noticing that Azura had gone to stand at the front next to Leo and Ryoma, made his way towards them.

"So what do you think?" Ryoma asked, peering intensely at the dragon.

"It's hard to tell," Leo admitted. "We have so little information on the biography of dragons that it may be impossible for us to tell if he's dead without us getting up close and personal with him."

"Which is something  _nobody_  in their right state of mind will do," Takumi added.

"Let's stay focused," Azura chided. "We still don't know if Anankos is truly dead or not. There's a phrase in ancient Hoshido than more or less directly translates to 'defeat being most bitter when victory has just been won.'"

"Well, it's impossible to achieve victory without admitting defeat every once in a while," Xander mused, rubbing his chin.

"That's…where you and I differ, Xander," Corrin said as he walked forward towards the silent dragon.

For a moment, everyone looked at Corrin in confusion until they realized what he was about to do.

"Are you  _crazy?"_  Leo asked. "What if he's still alive?

"'If,'" Corrin said simply. "There's no way to tell if he's actually dead without us physically checking for life, and in all honesty, I'm probably the best person for the job anyways. I have the only weapon in the world capable of hurting him in my hands. I think I'll be safe."

"I forbid it," Ryoma said sternly. "I see that you are still young, and so you think leading my example is the best and only way to get things done, but sometimes, you have to be comfortable letting others risk their lives for you."

"You told me this and a hundred more idioms before, Ryoma," Corrin said, somewhat exasperated. "Trust me on this. Even if Anankos is still alive, he's bound to be gravely wounded and in no shape to fight."

" _VERMIN…"_

Everyone blanched and looked around, their weapons swinging wildly as they looked for the source of the voice. Unlike before, where Anankos' voice had emanated from the general vicinity of his mask, this time, he sounded like he was all around them. Ryoma, Leo, Xander, Takumi, and Corrin all looked around for a split second before all simultaneously and automatically drawing their respective weapons.

Lightning crackled dangerously down the length of Raijinto as Siegfried pulsed even more malevolently. Takumi nocked three arrows at once in Fujin Yumi and aimed towards the fallen mask, another three arrows materializing in his clenched fist. Orbs of magic curled themselves around Leo's fist as he glared around, as if the very room had become their enemy, which in a way, was somewhat true.

Meanwhile, Azura spun her naginata around herself before setting it in a battle-ready stance in front of her, the butt of the shaft sticking out into air with the tip of weapon angled slightly downwards towards the ground. As for Corrin, he tore Yato out of his sheath. Almost immediately, the chainsaw-like teeth of the blade started to churn up again, and an even bright than usual golden glow began emanating from the weapon.

And so they stood there, their weapons drawn and ready to strike, even as the chamber shook around them.

"Told you," Takumi muttered to Corrin.

"Quiet," Ryoma ordered.

Azura's eyes darted back and forth before an orange light caught her eye. Her heart felt like it had been petrified and covered in lead as the great masked moved, looking down at them. Where the mask's right eye had been, now a large orange eyeball stared back at her, contempt and anger tangible in the orange sclera.

" _YOU…LOWLY…WEAK…PITIFUL HUMANS,"_  Anankos growled. " _YOU CAN'T—YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS."_

"Well, we did," Corrin said, walking up to Anankos and pointing Yato towards him. A veritable orange spotlight shone itself on him as the eye focused its full, burning, unwavering attention of Corrin, the pupils dilating as he slowly came into focus. If Corrin was cowed by such an unnatural sight, he did not show it. Rather, he kept his voice firm and even.

"You've lost, Anankos. Give up. Surrender peacefully, and I promise you'll die quickly and painlessly," Corrin said.

" _CURSE…YOU,"_  Anankos said weakly. " _I…I NEED MORE POWER. MORE DRAGON'S BLOOD._ _ **MORE! GARON!"**_

Xander and Leo let their weapons lower themselves to the floor as they stared at Anankos' thrashing form with bewilderment.

"Father?" Leo repeated.

"But that's impossible!" Xander said. "Father should still be back in No—"

A swarm of bats suddenly burst out of the floor tiles underneath him, knocking him off his feet. Corrin eyes widened, and he raised his arms protectively around his head as the bats swarmed around him. With a mini-explosion that showered Corrin and the others behind him in the pedals of black Nohrian Thornroses and their heavy scent, King Garon of Nohr stepped out of the maelstrom.

He looked much like he had the last Corrin had seen him, his skin sagging and an unnatural shade of gray. His face was as long and lean as ever, with a deep brow and a long white beard cascading over his black-as-night breastplate. His eyes were as hard as stones and save for a flare of purple around the iris, there was little white.

His mouth was thin and wide, which the ends of his lips tugged downwards, most likely due to his face always fixed in some sort of frown or scowl.

Despite that, however, Corrin could sense there was something…off about the man standing in front of him. The lines on his brow and either side of his nose were deeper than before, and his sagging skin had a thin look to it. As he turned around, he saw how his eyes burned with that same purple flame that his mother, father, and Arete had in their eyes.

"Ah…it's good to see you again,  _my children_ ," Garon said, stepping towards Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise.

Elise, frightened by Garon's demonic appearance, quickly hid behind Camilla, whose axe trembled ever so slightly in her hands. Leo took an unconscious step backwards while Xander continued to stare at his father with the same intensity his father back at him.

Garon took another step towards them and was about to reach out with a gauntleted hand towards them when Corrin stepped in front of him and pointed Yato towards him, the tip of the blade scarcely an inch away from his long white beard. Disgust and anger flared up in Garon's eyes as the faint scent of burning hair wafted over them.

"Why are you here?" Corrin demanded. "Tell us. Now!"

When Garon did not immediately respond, Corrin thrust Yato forward, towards Garon's heart. Garon grinned menacingly at him as he wrapped his hand around Yato. Ignoring the splashes of blood staining his face and armor from closing his hand around Yato's chainsaw-like teeth, Garon yanked Yato towards himself, with a half-dragon attached to the hilt.

Years of training, fighting, and instinct prevented Corrin from letting go of his weapon, so when Garon's other fist smashed into his face, he went sprawling, devoid of both consciousness and weapon. His head slammed into the ground, leaving behind a small patch of blood, and he collapsed limply to the floor, uttering a surprisingly child-like moan of pain as he did so.

"Corrin!" Azura cried, rushing towards him.

"What have you done?" Xander demanded as he rushed towards Garon, Siegfried in his hand.

Garon grinned a demonic smile as he waved his hand in a backhanded sweeping motion, sending the two of them sprawling backwards. Xander grunted as he landed on his feet, but Azura cried out in pain as she slammed into Ryoma, who dropped Raijinto as he caught her.

Garon looked at Yato cutting itself into his hand with an air of disinterest. Despite the splashes of blood dripping on the floor, he simply grabbed Yato's hilt and plucked it, chainsaw-teeth and all, out of his hand and tossed into the corner, where Corrin continued to lay motionless.

As he slowly eased Azura back onto her feet, Ryoma picked Raijinto back up from where he had dropped it. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "How could you even think to strike your own children that way?"

"Quiet, Hoshidan," Garon hissed. "Your kind does not deserve to speak in the presence of our lord and savior."

"'Lord and savior?'" Leo repeated. "What are you  _talking_  about, Father? This isn't like you…"

Garon shook his head and turned away. As he did so, Azura could've sworn a look of sadness, however fleeting, crossed his face.

"So in the end, what they say is true," he murmured. "The ones who hurt you the most are the ones closest to you…"

Xander struggled to his feet and levelled Siegfried towards Garon again. "What are you talking about?" he asked again. "Why are you here? Who is this 'lord and savior?' Why did you attack us?"

In the back, Anankos stopped thrashing and extended his neck towards Xander, so that that horrible mask and its orange eyes were less than a meter from them. " _IS IT NOT SO OBVIOUS?"_  he asked dangerously. " _YOUR FATHER HAS SWORN COMPLETE AND UTTER ALLEGIENCE TO_ _ **ME**_ **."**

"That can't be…" Camilla whispered, horrified. "You've been serving this…this thing the whole time?"

"Is it not obvious, girl?" Garon growled. "You've merely been pawns for Lord Anankos and I!" He looked over the faces of those opposing him. Some were anxious, some were afraid. But most were angry.

"Everything you've worked towards, everything that you've done. We've foreseen it happen! Everything you fools have done so far has just been yet another step towards our ultimate goal!" Garon gloated.

"And what would that be?" Leo asked frostily.

Garon sneered, and that brought Azura's attention to his face, or rather, his lack of one. Everyone hastily scrambled backwards as some sort of gray slime started oozing out from underneath Garon's pools. Curiously, the pool of ooze spread itself around Corrin's limp body so that it created a rough circle of untouched floor.

Soon, what skin was visible from underneath Garon's armor disappeared, leaving only the metal, and even that was slowly assimilated into his body, which now consisted mostly of that same slime that was spreading across the throne.

Eventually, the man that had once stood before them was now replaced by an undulating, shapeless, dripping mass with demonic-purple lights where the eyes had once been. All that remained of Garon that seemed even somewhat human was the skeletal face staring ghastly back at Azura as it oozed towards them, driblets of that same slimy substance dripping to the floor.

An axe that looked like it used to be Bolvek, Garon's personal weapon, slid out of the heavy woolen cloak and into its hand. As the… _thing_  slid towards them, Azura shot a concerned look towards Corrin, who remained motionless.

"WhY, tO cOnVeRt AlL tO kInG aNaNoKos' WiLl, oF cOuRsE," the creature mumbled. "As sOoN CoRrIn'S cOrPsE iS uNdErNeAtH oUr CoNtRoL, wE wIlL dEsTrOy YuO aNd aLl wHo sHalL oPpOsE uS, sTaRtInG wItH yOuR lOt. ThOsE iN tHiS cHaMbEr WiLl bE tHe FiRsT tO SeE tHe PeRfEcT wOrLd wE hAve pLanNeD fOr HuMaNiTy."

" _ **WE?"**_  Anankos thundered.

"He's planning to commit a mass genocide against humanity!" Leo said in a hushed whisper, shocked. "He's going to use our bodies as the vanguard for his invasion on Nohr and Hoshido!"

"Are you sure?" Ryoma asked.

"Ah—of course I'm sure!" Leo snapped back, though his tone may be brought on by stress and fear than actual cruelty. "This dragon  _possesses_  dead bodies and uses them as soldiers, cannon fodder, slaves, you name it, he probably uses them for that! What else could he have planned for humanity if not completely wiping out and possessing every last man, woman, and child?"

"We can't let him then," Azura said. "I won't let what happened to my people to happen to the rest of the world!"

"But first, we need to get Corrin back!" Silas said, pushing his way to the front of the army.

The creature's eyes turned a violent shade of dark pink as it extended one of its arms, driving into Silas' gut. The paladin's eyes immediately widened and he doubled over, winded, before the creature swung its club-like fist upwards, clocking him on the jaw and knocking him back.

"I dOn't tHiNk So, tRaItoR," Garon rasped. "CoRrIn bElOnGs tO mE nOw, FoOliSh ChIlD."

Meanwhile, the slime slowly collected under Corrin's body before he started to slide across the floor towards Anankos. Thousands of minute appendages,  _feelers_ , retracted into the slime the second Corrin was no longer resting on top of them, and slowly, ever so slowly, Garon delivered Corrin into Anankos' gaping jaw. Anankos' jaw hung loosely as he panted, partly due to the damage the fighting had ensued upon him, but also due to not being to wait any longer.

Soon, he would be able to escape this world. Soon, he'll be able to extract his revenge on humanity.

* * *

" _Back so soon?"_

Corrin's eyes snapped upon as he took in his surroundings. To his right, he could hear the now-familiar sound of the fire crackling. Sitting up, he groaned and clutched his head as a splitting pain shot through his head.

It felt as if someone was driving spikes into the back of his head, yet when his hands came away, they came away bloodless.

A rustling sound caused his eyes to snap upwards, towards the hooded man gently stirring the fire with the fire poker. Was it just him, or did he look a lot thinner than before?

" _You know,"_  the man said, " _it's generally good manners to answer someone's question. Especially when you're lying on the remains of their dinner."_

Corrin's eyes widened as he felt a warm liquid seeping in his legs, and he hastily got up, brushing off the flecks of meat and vegetable.

" _S-sorry,"_ he apologized. " _I-I didn't mean to come here. I just…sort of woke up here. Again."_

" _Again,_ " the man repeated. " _Do you know how unlikely it is for something to happen twice? For something to happen in the exact same place or circumstances. Now if we add time into the mix, then that non-zero chance becomes truly zero, but let's ignore that for a second. Let's say, for instance, that you were born in a village in Hoshido, and every year, on your birth date, you go to the same village, the same house, same room, same bed you were born in, and you laid on the exact same sheets at the exact same time your mother gave birth to you on. Would you be in the exact same place as you were when you were born?"_

" _Of course!"_  Corrin replied. " _If nothing in the room was touched ever since that moment where I was born, then it would be the exact same place, I presume."_

" _Is it really though?"_  the hooded man asked. " _Is it really?"_

Corrin frowned, now unsure of his answer. " _Well, now that I think of it, no, not really."_

" _Why not?"_  the man offered. " _It's like you said. Assume everything has been unchanged or untouched since you were born in that room. Why wouldn't it be the same?"_

" _Well, if my studies are anything to go by, isn't our world round?"_  Corrin asked. " _And according to…to some Nohrian scientist—"_

" _Are you sure they were Nohrian?"_  the man interrupted.

"— _yes, I am,"_ Corrin replied. " _According to that scientist, our world is not flat, but is instead round, which would explain the horizon's behavior with venturing sea vessels. And since a previous study had deducted that the sun remained in the same position, our world must be the one that is spinning, and since we have seasons, the earth must be spinning around on an axis even as it orbits the sun."_

" _Eh, close enough,"_  the figure admitted. " _Go on."_

" _That means,"_  Corrin continued, " _the chances of the world being aligned in the exact same location as it was when I was born would be astronomically small. Even more so if, like you said, we take into consideration of everything that needs to happen, like being on the exact same day and time."_

The figure nodded in admiration. " _Not bad…not bad at all. Besides, of course, your explanations as to_ why _our world is spinning at a slight angle as it orbits, but close enough. Now, can you tell me why that example applies to your current scenario now?"_

Corrin frowned. " _I'm not sure. What do you mean?"_

The hooded figure leaned forward. The fire lit up more of his face and confirmed Corrin's suspicions. The hooded figure  _did_  appear to be thinner, with his cheeks already looking sallow and hanging loosely as he spoke.

" _Come now, Corrin, what are the chances that you'll wake up in the same field, next to the same fire, next to the same man three times in a row?"_

" _Three?"_  Corrin asked.  _"I know that I've met you before, and that you're probably considering this time as one of those times too, but what was the first time?"_

The man shook his head ruefully. " _Never mind. Just let me ask you: what are the chances that you find me every time your life is perilously close to being snuffed out?"_

" _Snuffed out?"_  Corrin asked. " _What do you…mean…"_

The gears in his head clicked as Corrin rounded on the man, who remained sitting cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees. " _Are you telling me that you're the one responsible for dragging me here every time?"_

" _Are you angry?"_

Corrin frowned and retracted the finger he was pointing at the man with. " _N-no, not really."_

" _Well, you should be."_

The man rose from his haunches and strode over to Corrin. He clasped Corrin on the shoulders and looked into his red eyes. His hands were surprisingly cold for someone who always sat next to a fire, yet they were…comforting in a way. Familiar

" _Corrin, I have spent over twenty-three years asking myself, 'Should I tell the wielder of Yato my greatest secret?' Every time, I tell myself 'No, they'll probably be a greater threat coming soon. Best to wait until then.'"_

The hooded man squeezed Corrin's shoulders. " _Now, however, is the time. Anankos is only moments away from achieving full power, and once that happens, not even Moros or the other dragons will be able to stop him, even if they do manage to pay enough attention to this world to care. If he does manage to regain his full strength, he'll unleash The End of All on both lands. The entirety of both Hoshido and Nohr will fall within hours of his victory here. The sea will turn black and corrupt, spelling instant death for those unfortunate enough to be out there when he attacks. Kingdoms across the sea—yes, there are other kingdoms besides Hoshido and Nohr. We're just part of a larger game—will be forced to fight or die, and most will die. Once he has conquered this world, then he'll undoubtedly expand his interests to other worlds, other dimensions. If that happens, then he'll be unstoppable._

" _One kingdom has already nearly experienced such a calamity, and for them to go through the same ordeal again will be cruel, to say the least. You have to stop Anankos, and in order to do that, you must be willing to hear the one piece of information that can shift the tides in your favor."_

" _I'm ready then,"_  Corrin said without hesitation. " _I can't let everyone else suffer because of me. Tell me. I'm ready."_

The man released Corrin and walked away, shaking his hands and shoulders as if he were preparing to give a performance in front of a crowd of thousands. " _The truth is then…I am Anankos."_

Corrin and the hooded figure stared at each in a moment of shocked silence.

" _I don't believe you,"_  Corrin said immediately. " _That's impossible. You're…you're not human, I can tell, but there's no way you can related to that…that—"_

" _That thing,"_  the figure finished. " _Well, if my word won't sway you, then maybe this will."_

The figure reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a large, blue stone, easily the size of Corrin's entire head. How the entire stone managed to fit into the robe without producing some sort of bulge, Corrin didn't know, but his attention was diverted as the hooded figure rested his hand on top of it. Here and there, a few pockmarks were missing from the surface of the stone, but an ethereal power emanated from within. Simply being near the stone was enough to soothe the dragon inside Corrin to sleep, and he could feel himself staring unashamedly at the stone as it pulsed.

Corrin's eyes snapped upwards towards the hooded figure as he placed his hand on the stone. With a blinding flash of light, the man disappeared.

Corrin rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision as he looked around. " _What? Where did you—"_

Corrin felt his chest tighten as a massive shadow rose out under him, and the heavy booming footsteps of an impossibly large creature shook the earth around him. Looking up, his hand reached automatically for a weapon he knew would not be there as a massive dragon looked down at him.

" _This…is my final form,"_  the massive dragon said sadly.  _"The form responsible for causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands. I am Anankos."_

Anankos' head swiveled down so that his eye level was somewhat close to Corrin's. Instead of a face, as Corrin's other form possessed, there was a curious orb clenched between massive, eyeless jaws. The material of the orb itself looked like it was made of some sort of otherworldly metal.

Spread around the surface of the orb were several eyes. Unlike the burning orange Corrin had seen in the castle throne room, these eyes were a much softer shade of orange, the orange of a sunset compared to the orange of an out-of-control wildfire.

There was also a bit of yellow in those sad eyes so that the eyes were nearly a golden color when looked at with the right angle, and Corrin instinctively felt a sense of longing within himself as Anankos brought his head back up.

" _Now do you believe me?"_  Anankos asked. " _I was the very enemy you wished to vanquish, and now, look at me. I'm nothing more than an old man, cursed to an eternity of solitude here in the Gray Planes until the world has been purified of my sins."_

"' _Gray Planes?'"_  Corrin asked, struggling to keep his voice from shaking and his knees from buckling. " _I thought you weren't supposed to tell me anything about yourself!"_

" _I know,"_ Anankos said, and slowly lowered his head and brought it back up again—a shrug. " _I only said that before as an excuse to not have to tell you the truth about myself."_

" _That's…somewhat suspicious,"_  Corrin said. All Anankos could do was close his eyes in sorrow.

" _So what are these 'Gray Planes?'"_ Corrin asked.

With another bright flash of light, the massive dragon vanished, and Anankos, back in his human formed, stepped out of the light, brushing imaginary lint off his shoulders. He stuck his hands glumly into his pockets as he sat back down beside the fire. " _A plane of existence,"_  he said simply.

Elaborating, he added, " _Even as the Astral Planes are part of the Astral Realms, and the Dragon Planes, which most humans and dragons now know as Valla, are part of Dragon Realms, which is your world as you know it, the Gray Planes are of the Gray Realms."_

" _And what are the Gray Realms?"_

" _Death."_  Anankos said simply. " _The unknown. The End that is all. All living things, even gods, will go to the Gray Realms one day. Once there, you can never leave. All beings, humans, animals, dragons, even the lowliest of insects are welcome—except those who have committed grave atrocities in the past."_

" _Like you?"_

Anankos nodded. " _Like me. The Judges have…well, judged me, and they've decided that in order for me to atone for my crimes against the other dragons during some long ago war, I am to stay in the Gray Planes until I've cleared the world of my sins. Only problem is, I_ am _the sin, but being immortal, it is impossible for me to, you know, die._

" _The First Ruler of what would become Valla took pity on me then, and somehow travelled to the Gray Planes to discuss my incarceration. And so that was the first time in even The Judges' living memories that someone, much less a human, had managed to travel to the Gray Realms, bargain with The Judges, convince them to change their judgement, and was able to leave afterwards. When The Judges released me from my incarceration here, the first thing I did as a free dragon was to bestow the mantle of kings upon that human, who would later become The First Ruler of Valla."_

" _And how do I know this isn't some sort of elaborate hoax meant to waste my time while my friends fight for their lives?"_  Corrin asked as he slowly backed away. _"You share the name, no—you_ are _the world's greatest threat. How do you expect me to believe you?_

Anankos shook his head and shrugged. " _I don't. Even if you hate me, and even if you don't trust what I say, at the very least, trust that I…never intended everything that happened afterwards to actually happen."_

Corrin gave a suspicious look towards Anankos as he sat back down next to the campfire.  _"And…again…why should I believe you?"_

Anankos sighed. " _Because you should know that there are two of me in this world."_

Corrin's eyes widened almost comically as he jumped back to his feet. " _Two?"_  he repeated.

Anankos nodded. " _Yes. There's me, and then there's…that monster in the Dragon Realm."_

" _So you're telling me that I have to fight you twice?"_  Corrin asked.

Anankos quickly shook his head, his hands waving desperately. " _Oh no, no, that's not what I meant!"_  he said quickly. " _When I say that there's two of me, what I really meant to say was that there's only one Anankos, split into two different parts."_

" _That…doesn't really makes sense,"_ Corrin asked. " _What do you mean that there's one of you but split into two parts?"_

Anankos sighed, wringing his hands together as he stared into the depths of the fire. " _Long ago, during a fit of madness, I tore out a part of my soul and cast it down onto mankind. That part of the soul, the one I tore out, is the man you see standing before you."_

Corrin stared at Anankos. " _You're kidding."_

Anankos sadly shook his head. " _Unfortunately not."_

Suddenly animated, he leapt upwards and grabbed Corrin by the shoulders. " _You have to understand, Corrin, that part of the reason I tore my soul out was so that, in case the worst comes to pass, humanity would have one last glimmer of hope. That hope took place in the shape of one object, or rather, one object and a song. A very special song."_

Corrin's brow furrowed in confusion. " _What_?"

" _As you may or may not know, I am gifted with the ability to foresee events into a future, a skill I…passed on to your mother. During yet another one of my fits, I had a vision that I would one day go mad and unleash horrors on humanity, the likes of which even other dragons had never seen. To prevent or mitigate such a calamity from happening, I composed and created a song able to soothe my bloodlust, at least for a little bit. That song is the very same song that drains your friend of her precious life energy every time she sings those words. Every time those words come out of her lips, she trying to contain the wrath of a First Dragon! That's why she has to sacrifice so much for such a little reward."_

Corrin shook his head. " _I can't believe this,"_  he said, rubbing his eyes. " _So let me get this straight. You…fought in some war long ago, and these…Judges from another plane of existence incarcerated you here, in the Gray Planes. And then you said that a human managed to convince the judges to release you, and as a reward for his actions, you made him the king of Valla, but then you started to go mad. And during one of those fits of madness, you created a song designed to contain your wrath at full power, tore out part of your soul, cast it into the Gray Planes again, whereupon the rest of you proceeded to commit genocide on Valla."_

" _That's the gist of it,"_ Anankos said miserably.

Corrin bit his lip as he rubbed his chin. " _And so let's say that all of this is true and that I believe you on this. How does knowing that you're Anankos' torn out soul help us win against him?"_

Anankos looked up at Corrin, and this time, Corrin could see the red gleam of his eyes peeking out beneath Anankos' hood. " _Saying that the other part of me is soulless isn't necessarily true. Imagine if people were divided into two separate personalities, two separate parts. One part would be the loving, kind, compassionate part. That part would do the right thing, but would lack the willpower to actually carry through on it. On the other hand, the other part is selfish, reckless, willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. This is the part that contains the willpower needed to do the right thing mentioned before. By combining those two parts together, you get…well, people. Life is just a fine game of balance between these two parts. If one was to be so unbalanced where one part swallows the other…"_

" _I…see…"_  Corrin said slowly. " _So you're saying that you're the kind, loving, compassionate part of Anankos and that the one I was fighting is the other part?"_

Anankos nodded. " _Precisely."_

" _But how does this knowledge help me with dealing with Anankos?"_  Corrin asked. " _Unless there's some sort of therapist or spell that can somehow revert his madness, the only way to put him down is through the use of force, but our numbers are simply too depleted to launch a full-on assault."_

" _You don't need to,"_ Anankos said. " _Remember that massive explosion that happened when you struck my counterpart with the Yato?"_

Corrin nodded. " _What about it?"_

" _I specifically asked the Rainbow Sage to forge Yato in such a way that the wielder will be nigh on impregnable to my counterpart's attacks and spells. No matter how strong the blow is, and how devastated the land around you becomes, you'll always be left with at least a sliver of strength large enough to continue fighting. All the while, you'll be able to deal massive damage to him, damage severe enough…to kill a god."_

Corrin whistled. " _That's…quite a spell."_

" _Indeed,"_ Anankos said, nodding. " _Even I was impressed with the quality of the Rainbow Sage's work. If only all weapons had such an intricate system of wards built into their being like that. But perhaps it'll be better not having such weapons. Humanity are…somewhat violent, and those who are able to wield weapons that render the wielders impregnable to all attacks would undoubtedly become the leaders of such a barbaric society."_

" _Maybe. Maybe not,"_  Corrin mused. " _It all depends on the cost, doesn't it?"_

" _Hmm…"_

Corrin frowned as a snippet of Anankos' past words came to the forefront of his mind. " _Wait. You said that I'll be basically immune to Anankos' attacks. Then how come his servants can hurt me?"_

Anankos raised a finger sharply. " _First off, there's no such thing as a complete immunity. Second, I never said that you'll be completely immune to his attacks. All I said was that he'll never be able to directly kill you outright. The spells bound around Yato's true form will prevent that from happening, but just because he can't kill you directly doesn't mean he can't hurt you. He can still tear your arm off, break your bones, cause irreparable mental harm to you, but so long as the wound doesn't_ kill _you, he can still hurt you."_

" _What about his servants?"_

Anankos tucked his chin against his chest, deep in thought. " _That…was the flaw both the Rainbow Sage and I encountered. To cast a spell to render one resistant to any sort of attack, you need to cast a spell that has a direct relationship with the attacker. For instance, if you had a lance that protected you from only one bear, only that bear will be unable to kill you, as the spell applies to that bear and that bear only. Other bears will still be able to hark and kill you. Using that example, you can see why my counterpart's servants can still harm you. To render the wielder of Yato resistant to any of my counterpart's servant's attacks…you're asking us to peer into nearly and endless number of possible futures. We'd have to cast a specific spell for everyone in the land, which is already daunting by itself. If you take into consideration those people's children, and then those children's children…it would be an impossible task. Not to mention, once someone passes onto the Gray Planes, any sort of spell that was bound to them dies when they die. That's why my counterpart's servants are able to harm and even kill you. So long as your friends keep his avatars off of you when you attack him, you should be able to pull off a victory."_

" _I see…"_  Corrin said. " _So that means that only Anankos is unable to outright kill me, but because he has an army of puppets to send after me, he can use any of them to kill me."_

Anankos nodded. " _Precisely."_

" _And so the best plan for us to take would be for my friends to create a circle around me so they can fend off the undead soldiers while I focus my full attention on Anankos?"_

" _That's it, basically."_

Corrin sighed and sat back down, suddenly feeling tired by the sheer immensity of his situation. " _All this planning ahead, thinking about the future, having everyone look up to you…I guess it's no surprise you went mad, huh?"_

" _There's a lot more to that then just stress, you know,"_ Anankos glowered.

" _Tell me."_

Anankos squatted down and put his head between his knees. " _I'm sure you know the story by now,"_ he mumbled, his voice muffled by the thick layers of cloth obscuring his face. _"My sanity started to slip away from me. I destroyed Brightwood Forest, the main source of materials for over eighty percent of the people. The people blamed me for it, which was to expected, and in a fit of rage, I murdered one of my only friends at the time, Theos."_

" _Theos?"_

" _King Theophilus,"_  Anankos explained. " _Azura's father. He was the Eighth King of Valla in title only, so most of the power went to Arete, your aunt. She was pronounced the Seventh Queen of Valla when she was the tender age of fourteen."_

" _Fourteen?"_  Corrin asked, bewildered. He couldn't fathom anyone becoming monarch and having to deal with a struggling nation. And at the age of fourteen, no doubt.

Anankos nodded sadly. " _You see, the Rheos and I have been connected for many generations, but it was only until Mikoto and Arete came into this world that I was truly welcomed as a part of the family."_

" _What do you mean, 'part of the family?'"_

Anankos shifted so that he was looking away from Corrin. Not that it did much, since Corrin could never see much of his face other than his chin and mouth, but Anankos gave off the impression of a child that had done something naughty, waiting fearfully in the corner for their parent's punishment.

" _Are you sure you want to know?"_  Anankos asked. " _You…you might not like what you hear."_

" _I'm sure,"_  Corrin affirmed, nodding. " _I've heard about Azura's song secretly killing her every time she sings it. I've heard about how there are other worlds, and how Robin is not of our world, and I've also heard…well, all of this. I think I can handle what you're about to tell me."_

" _Robin?"_  Anankos said, looking curiously up at him. " _That name sounds…vaguely familiar. How odd."_

" _He was some sort of tactician from some faraway land,"_  Corrin explained. " _He's the one responsible for getting most of Hoshido and Nohr's army here. We're all in his debt."_

" _Huh. Interesting."_ Anankos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. " _All dragons are connected, and I remember another dragon, one of the elder ones raging about how he was defeated by a human going by the very same name. Describe his appearance for me."_

" _Uh…"_  Corrin rubbed the back of his head. " _Well, I guess he was about your height? Sort of had snow-white colored hair. Always wore a coat. Talked in a…he always talked as if even though he was focused on you, you could tell he's thinking of something else. He sort of talked like you, so…his voice kind of got annoying if he started talking to you about something you hate?"_

" _What did he say to you?"_  Anankos pressed, ignoring Corrin's jab at himself. " _Did he give you any sort of advice?"_

" _Not much, I'm afraid,"_ Corrin said, shrugging. " _We didn't talk much with each other besides discussing the current state of the men, so we didn't pry too much into each other's past. He did say that he was once faced with a situation very similar to ours."_

" _Interesting…"_  Anankos said again. " _Maybe he is the same man that dragon mentioned after—"_

Before he could finish his statement, the ground shook all around them. Corrin stumbled and flailed his arms around him as he tried to keep his balance. Anankos got to his feet, keeping a hand pressed against the ground for balance as he looked around. The hoods shadows obscured his face, but it was obvious from the grim slash across his face that this was no regular occurrence.

" _What's going on?"_  Corrin asked.

" _He found us,"_  Anankos said seriously. He rose up to his full height as tendrils of shimmering water curled themselves around his forearms. " _On your feet,"_  he ordered. " _Prepare to run."_

As he said those words, a door, emanating with golden light, appeared in front of Corrin, out of thin air. Corrin squinted and covered his eyes with his arm as he looked back at Anankos.

" _Wait, who's found us?"_ Corrin asked.  _"What's going on?"_

" _Me!"_ Anankos shouted. " _Er—the other me—just…never mind! Just get back to your friends!"_

" _What about you?"_  Corrin called back.  _"There's no way—"_

" _Don't worry about me!"_  Anankos said.  _"Just focus on feeling way back towards your friends, and you'll be with them again."_

" _But—"_

" _ **RUN**_!"Anankos shouted as a wave of darkness rolled across the grassy hills. Around them, the fog slowly turned purple and thick as Corrin began to choke. The fog seeped into his nose and mouth, clogging everything and making the world go black…

Beside them, the campfire continued to burn, flecks of ash flinging themselves into the air. Save for the glow provided by the door, the campfire was the only source of light in the soup of purple fog.

Anankos looked back to see Corrin collapse to his knees, coughing as the fog continued to force its way into his body. He looked back in front of him, where the dark fog slowly thickened and solidified in the form of a shadowy specter.

" _HERE YOU ARE…"_  Anankos' voice echoed, only this time, instead of the somewhat temperate tone of the hooded figure Corrin had sat next for so long, it was the raspy, growling sound of a dragon's. " _I KNEW I WOULD FIND YOU HERE…"_

Without hesitation, Anankos turned and ran towards Corrin. Corrin grunted as he felt Anankos' hand close around his torso, his hands now surprisingly warm and human-like for a dragon, and before he could even comprehend what had happened, Anankos heaved him out of the fog, into the doorway.

The instant the entirety of Corrin's body passed through the doorway, the fog seeped out of his body, hissing and wailing as it left him. Corrin rolled onto his knees and got to his feet as he half-walked, half-stumbled towards Anankos, who was now projecting some sort of barrier surrounding him and the door. His long robes flung wildly around him as he appeared to converse in some sort of conversation with the specter, who lowered its arms and tilted its head almost cockily.

As Corrin approached towards them, Anankos threw out his other hand to project the same kind of barrier in front of Corrin. Corrin grunted in pain as his face smacked into the barrier, causing his vision to flash red. Behind them, the specter retreated into the fog, the shadows completely covering it.

" _Sorry!"_ Anankos apologized. " _But I can't let you die here. If you do, the other version of me will be able to take over your body and use it as an avatar."_

" _Yeah, but you don't need to sacrifice yourself to do so!"_  Corrin objected, pounding his fist on the barrier. " _You can come with me!"_

Anankos chuckled dryly as cracks started to break out on the barrier holding back the darkness. " _We both know that wouldn't work. You have a physical body to return back to, but I do not. If I was to return to the Dragon Realm, I would die a true death almost instantly, and I have no wish to fulfil such a fate so soon. Not until I see this through to the end."_

" _But—"_

" _Another time, another time!"_  Anankos said, waving Corrin's objections away. " _Just leave me! I already told you why I can't come with you, so quit standing there and get back to Azura and your friends!"_

" _But—"_

" _No buts!"_  Anankos shouted as the specter pulsed, taking on the shape of a hulking Faceless. The brute smashed its fists into the barrier, causing flecks of the barrier to rain around Anankos, cutting his hands and cheeks.

Anankos grunted as he fought to keep the barrier up. " _Go!"_  he shouted. " _Don't worry about me! Remember, hope will never die! Just—"_

Whatever else Anankos had been about to say was lost as the barrier shattered completely, flooding the small space Anankos had been standing with the shadowy fog. The barrier in front of Corrin flickered briefly before completely breaking.

In the fog, he could just barely see the silhouette of the shadowy monster grappling with a vaguely human-shaped figure before the fog started to thicken once again, obscuring the two. For a split second, Corrin had hoped the door would be able to prevent the fog from seeping in by itself, but the instant the fog's tendrils curled itself around his leg, he charged forward and pushed the door closed, bracing his shoulder against it to prevent any more of the fog from seeping in.

Around him, the light grew brighter and brighter, eventually swallowing both him and the door in it.

On the other side of the door, two dragons, both the same yet different, fought. Roars of some large beast rang out across the endless planes as the campfire flickered, threatening to go out, but ultimately remaining lit.

A single tatter of cloth slowly drifted towards the fire. It vanished in a puff of smoke the instant it made contact with the lapping flames, and the fire continue to burn even stronger than before.

Now was the endgame.

* * *

Azura grunted as Silas's back slammed into her face. "Sorry!" he called back over his shoulder.

"Iths alright," she mumbled, brushing her hair out of her mouth and face. Almost immediately afterwards, Silas slammed into her again, knocking her down.

"Sorry!" he apologized again before digging his feet in and pushing forward with the shield he had managed to pick up from a recently killed Vallite shield bearer.

Azura peeked over the edges of the shield for a split second, almost receiving a third eye in the process as a flurry of spikes flew over her head. She ducked, and she heard one of the men behind her cry out in pain. A clatter of armor crashed to the floor, and she heard the scraping of the man's armor being dragged away by the healers.

In the split second she spent glancing over Silas' shoulder, Garon growled again and flung another volley of those spikes at the phalanx in front of him. Those spikes were made of the same slimy material spreading itself through the room, except they were hard as steel and just as sharp.

"We need to push forward!" Silas shouted, struggling to make headway against the storm of spines flying around the room and embedding themselves within his shield.

"We can't!" a Nohrian officer shouted back, panic evident in his voice as one of Garon's spines flew straight through his helmet plume, sending red feathers everywhere.

"We just need to get Corrin back!" Azura said, risking another peek at where Corrin lay prone, still unmoving. A pang resonated in her chest as she remembered the  _crack_  of Corrin's skull against the stone floor when Garon had knocked him out. The slimy material Garon constantly exuded quickly spread itself around the room, but left a neat little circle around Corrin, presumably so that Anankos would have an easier time doing whatever he wanted to do with Corrin's body, though the dragon god was more preoccupied watching Garon suppressing the entire army through the use of his spines alone.

"Can't!" Takumi said next to her, unleashing a volley of arrows that destroyed half a dozen spines midair. "Not without looking like a porcupine!"

"GiVe YoUrSeLvEs uP tO Me," Garon rasped. "YoUr lEaDeR iS dEaD, aNd nO mAtTeR hOw HaRd yOu fIgHt, yOu wIlL aLl jOin LoRd AnAnkOs' rAnKs."

"Fat chance!" Leo shouted back as a dozen of Garon's spines burst into mutli-colored dust midair, courtesy of an anti-projectile he and Owain had cast when Garon launched his one-man assault on the army. "If you think my brother's dead, then you're wrong, because he's coming for you!"

Garon growled as an arrow imbedded itself in his chest. Looking down at the offending shaft sticking out of the body, the arrow, shaft and all, slowly sank into the depths of his slimy body. Looking up, he growled, "XaNdEr AlWaYs My fAvOrItE."

"If you think you can coax me with compliments, then you're sorely mistaken!" Xander shouted from behind the shield both he and Ryoma were hiding under. "My father was a just man, possessing a quick temper but never lashing out at those who don't deserve it, not…whatever you are. You're not even human! You're just a pale imitation of the real man!"

"I…aM aScEnDeD," Garon growled. "It iS yOu wHo aRe nOt hUmAn…"

Azura's eyes widened as she saw behind Garon, Corrin slowly got to his feet, shaking his head. He looked around, looking mildly confused until he saw Azura, Silas, Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, Leo, and the rest of the army huddled behind shields, pillars, and even corpses of fallen allies to avoid being pin cushioned by Garon's assault.

"Corrin!" she shouted. "Corrin! Over here!"

That was a mistake.

The lights where Garon's eyes had rested turned a violet shade of red as he rounded on Corrin, who looked like he was still too disoriented and wounded to do much other than to slowly look up at the creature in front of him.

"GoOdbYe, mY cHiLd," Garon said sadistically as he prepared to launch a volley of spines at the defenseless half-dragon.

" _NO!_  Anankos roared. " _DON'T!"_

Without warning, Anankos stuck his massive head and neck out, effectively shielding Corrin from the volley. The spines shattered harmlessly on the dragon's scales as the mask turned to look down at Garon, fell orbs lighting back up in its eyes as Garon took an unconscious step backward.

"M-mIloRd—" Garon started to say. "I-I—"

" _YOU ARE TO KEEP HIS BODY INTACT,_ " Anankos roared. " _HIS CORPSE MUST BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION WHEN I POSSESS IT."_

Though she could only see his feet, Azura thought she saw Corrin bend down to pick up Yato where Garon had tossed it as Garon turned his back on the dragon with a flourish of his cape.

"WhAt oF iT?" Garon asked indifferently. "WhY wOuLd yOu uSe tHaT…tHaT fOoL oF a ChIld aS aN aVaTaR wHeN YoU cAn uSe mE?"

Anankos' eyes flared red as he arched his neck, so that Garon was directly below him. " _YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME?"_

"oH, NoT aT AlL," Garon offered, looking back at the god. "I Am mErEly sUgGeStTiNg tHaT yOu uSe mY bOdY tO cHaNnEl yOuR iNfInItE pOwEr. JoIn wItH mE, aNd tOgEtHeR wE cAn dEsTrOy tHeSe mIsErAbLe fOolS aNd rUlE tHiS pItIfUl wOrlD!"

" _AS IF I WOULD EVER CONSIDER USING YOU, A PUREBRED HUMAN,"_ Anankos growled.  _"MY POTENTIAL AVATAR WILL HAVE MORE DRAGON BLOOD IN HIS VEINS THEN YOU EVER WILL, FOOL."_

Garon stopped in his tracks as he looked up at the gaping jaw over his head. It was only then that he realized the danger he had gotten himself into.

"LoRd AnAnkOs!" he said. "SuReLy, I'm oF sOme wOrTh tO yOu, yOu wOuLdN't sAcRifCe mE fOr a NaiVeTe oF a cHiLd, wOuLd yOu? YoU cAlLeD mE hErE sO wE CoUlD dEsTrOy tHeSe fOoLs tOgEtHeR!"

Anankos chuckled dangerously as the pseudo-jaw cracked wider than ever before. " _YOU THINK TOO MUCH OF YOURSELF, WORM! WHY WOULD I, KING ANANKOS, LAST OF THE FIRST DRAGONS, EVER CALL UPON YOU FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN TO TAKE BACK WHAT I'VE GIVEN YOU?"_

As Garon stuttered for an answer, Anankos suddenly snapped his head forward, clamping his stone pseudo-jaws around Garon. Everyone sprung backward, horror-struck at the sight as Corrin stealthily made his way around the two deranged monsters towards the army.

"LoRd AnAnKos!" Garon said, as he struggled to keep the jaws open. "wHaT aRe yOu dOiNg?"

" _TAKING BACK WHAT IS MINE!"_  Anankos roared, before flinging Garon into the air. The creature uttered a roar that one could only describe as primal fear as the stone jaw closed around him. Anankos bobbed his head forward, like a stork, once, twice as he swallowed Garon whole.

" _FATHER!"_  Elise screamed.

Everyone gasped and moved back in horror as Anankos messily devoured the rest of the slime Garon had spread across the room. Elise dropped to her knees, tears streaming from her face as Garon's crown fell clattering to the floor.

"F-father?"

"That…couldn't have been Father," Leo said, equally hollow. "That…that must've been…some sort of shapeshifting spell that Anankos cast to exploit our mental weaknesses! Yeah, that's it!"

"After everything, we're supposed to lose our father to Anankos as well?" Xander asked, shaking his head. Ryoma patted him hesitantly on the shoulder, as if unsure of whether or not he should be the one comforting him.

Azura ignored the Nohrian royals grieving the loss of what looked like their father as Corrin sprinted towards them, waving his arms over his head. "I'm still alive! Don't worry about me!" he shouted. "I'm fine!"

Sakura took a moment to rest a comforting hand on Elise's shoulder before moving towards Corrin, expertly checking his body for any wounds. The instant she ran her healing rod over Corrin's head, where he had struck the stone, he groaned and collapsed to his knees, panting.

"Corrin!" Azura was instantly by his side, and behind her was the rest of the royals save Camilla and Elise, the former comforting the latter by enveloping her in a bear hug.

Sakura's brow furrowed themselves in concentration as she ran her healing staff over Corrin's head. "You're h-hurt," she said. "I-it looks like you've g-got a c-concus—"

"Can it be fixed now?" Corrin asked, wincing as one of Azura's fingers ran over the gash in his head

Sakura swallowed nervously. "P-possibly. I-I've n-never had a-any sort of e-experiences b-before h-healing b-brain injuries."

"I have," Leo said seriously, pushing Takumi out of the way. So shocked was the Hoshidan prince at the recent turn of events that he did not even protest.

Leo knelt down next to Corrin and gently touched the gash at the base of his neck. "Y-you're lucky to be alive," he said, his voice fighting to be kept steady. "I can help Sakura heal you, but you're going to be unconscious for a good few minutes while the healing shuts your body down. There might be some side effects from the healing. It'll be better if we retreat to the fort, where we have actual medical supplies"

"Do it now," Corrin groaned. "If we retreat now…we'll never be able to have another chance to strike him down…

Leo nodded. "Very well." Looking towards Sakura, he nodded again. Sakura nervously tightened her grip on her festal as she started to utter some sort of healing spell. Leo in turn started reciting spells of his own while also uttering commands and words of encouragement to the shrine maiden as they worked.

In Azura's arms, Corrin's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he drifted off into a magically-induced stupor. Around them the rest of the army and Corrin's elite guard lined themselves around them putting themselves between Corrin and Anankos, who was now gagging and thrashing about again.

" _I'D FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH POWER I'VE GIVEN TO THAT LEECH,_ " Anankos glowered as he leered down at the army gathering themselves around another, smaller group clustered around Corrin, supervising the healing.

The army all pointed their weapons at the massive head glaring down at them as Anankos threw his head back and laughed, a deep, bellowing sound that caused the entire room to shake.

" _NO MATTER,"_  Anankos jeered. " _NONE OF YOU STAND A CHANCE NOW THAT I'VE FULLY REGAINED MY POWER. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WIL FALL. I WILL CRUSH YOUR BONES BENEATH MY FEET, AND EVEN THEN, YOUR TORMENT SHALL NEVER END. I'LL DO TO YOU WHAT I'VE DONE TO THE SURVIVING VALLITES ALL THESE YEARS—SLAVERY, FOOD, ENTERTAINEMENT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'LL TURN EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU INTO MY SERVANTS. PREPARE TO BE OBLITERATED."_

Without warning, the stone mask suddenly started to crack, with the stone around the mask completely breaking away, blowing outwards towards them and showering them in slivers of stone. Azura watched in shock and horror as a series of eyes stared back at her before the orbs suddenly went dark.

The mask suddenly collapsed limply to the floor, and as the forward guard took a few tentative steps towards the mask, the entire castle shook. Dust and debris fell in clumps from the ceiling as the mask was suddenly pulled back into the dark shadows where the neck protruded from, and in the distance, she could hear the roar of some impossibly large beast.

In her arms, Corrin's eyes suddenly snapped open. "W-what happened?" he asked.

Next to Azura, Xander hunched over, coughing and rubbing his eyes. "We have to get out of here!" he said, wheezing. "This whole castle's about to collapse!"

Right on cue, a piece of stone the size of a house fell from the ceiling and landed next to the empty void Anankos had just been occupying, where it shattered in a dozen pieces. Around them, more cracks spread through the walls, ominous shrieks and groans sounding from every side.

Corrin tried to get his feet as another piece of rubble fell from the ceiling, landing among the men this time and sending a chorus of screams and groans up. He barely managed to get his feet underneath himself that he stumbled, clutching at his head. Azura caught him and propped him up just before he fell again.

"What's going on?" he asked again. "Where's Anankos?"

"He left," Azura said simply as she tried to half-walk, half-carry Corrin towards the massive golden gates. "Just like we're about to leave now."

"Everyone! Pull back! Now!" Xander and Ryoma shouted at the army. "This entire castle is about to collapse! Run for the exit and arrange yourselves in a block the instant you're out of the castle walls and on the fields! That's an order, go!"

A stampede of feet sounded as everyone turned and ran, several tripping and being stepped on as the men made their desperate escape. Eventually, only Azura, Corrin, Silas, Kaze, Xander, and Ryoma were left in the throne room.

"We'll have to carry him," Azura said, trying to keep her balance as another quake shook the room.

"No need," Kaze said coolly as he brought over a team of horses. "These horses are ones who've lost their riders. We can use them to escape."

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Corrin protested, flapping his hand weakly towards them. "I…just need a few minutes to—"

"We don't  _have_  a few minutes!" Ryoma said. "Azura, can't you sing your song and fix whatever's bothering Corrin?"

"My song only rejuvenates," she explained. "It can't heal wounds. It can only restore energy."

"I'm fine!" Corrin insisted again. "I…just need to lean on someone while we make our escape."

"You can ride on my horse with me," Silas offered, patting the back on his saddle. "Don't worry, she doesn't bite."

Sensing no other option, Azura nodded, giving her consent. As Kaze, Silas, and Ryoma tried to help a still-somewhat-loopy Corrin into the saddle, Xander approached her from behind.

"What did Anankos just do?" he asked. "Is he trying to get to our world?"

"No, I don't think so," she replied. "My best guess is that Anankos has taken on his true form as a First Dragon, but since he said he's going to crush us first before he invades the rest of the world, I'm guessing he's going to do exactly that."

Xander nodded. "I see." Turning back towards the trio of men helping Corrin into the saddle, he shouted, "Are you done?"

As Silas flashed him a thumbs up, Xander look Azura's arm and bent down low to her. "The instant we're out of your castle, you are to stay as close as you can to Corrin, no matter the danger. If we lose him now, then we lose everything. Make sure he gets healed up enough so that he can fight. Got it?"

Azura nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Releasing her arm, Xander jogged back towards a group of horses whose owners had unfortunately expired during the battle. "We need to leave, now!" he said as he clambered onto one of the horses.

"What about the wounded?" Silas asked. "We can't leave them here!"

Ryoma shook his head, disgusted with himself. "We have no choice. This castle's about to collapse and taking on anymore wounded would only slow us down."

Silas nodded, clearly unhappy with how things turned out, but he obediently turned his horse and galloped out of the great throne room, with Xander, Kaze, Ryoma, and Azura following close on horseback.

As Azura wrapped an arm Ryoma's waist as they rode, she snuck a glance at Corrin sitting behind Silas. His head lolled about somewhat listlessly, but as soon as he noticed Azura looking at him, he slapped himself on the head and gave her a quick nod.

Azura nodded back and looked forward.

Piles of broken stone covered the floor along much of the hallway, which slowed their advance. To either side, Azura could see into the rubble-filled rooms and tunnels that the explosion had torn open. Within them, tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture stuck out at odd angles.

The limbs of the dead and dying, members of their army who were unfortunately crushed as they made their escape, dotted the length of the hallway from beneath the tumbled, occasionally a grimy face or the back of a head.

As the rode, Azura thought she heard Xander mutter something under his breath. "What was that?" she asked.

"I said that Leo would've loved to see all the treasure stored in here!" Xander shouted back. "He's quite the fanatic when it comes to history!"

Farther down the hallway, Azura could see about a dozen or so soldiers pouring out of the now-gaping entrance. There were burns, scraps, and other such wounds prevalent among them, but most seemed able-bodied and unhurt. The stragglers moved aside for their horses, but otherwise ignored the royals as the officers and members of Corrin's elite guard shouted at them, urging them to form up and move faster.

They were nearly at the end of the hall when a thunderous crash sounded behind them. Azura looked back to see that the throne chamber had caved in on itself, burying the chamber under a pile of stone easily fifty feet thick.

"Thank the gods we got out of there in time!" Silas jaunted as they continued forward.

"Indeed," Ryoma said with a grim smile.

As they emerged from the citadel, the air cleared and Azura was able to see firsthand the destruction Anankos had wrought in the few minutes they had spent escaping the castle. Many of the roofs of nearby buildings had been ripped off and set fire to the beams underneath.

Scores of fires dotted the rest of the city. As Azura looked at the threads and plumes of smoke drifting upwards, she noticed something about their movement. Instead of rising straight up, as most smoke did when there was no wind, the smoke she watched seemed like they were…bending, somehow. They would continue straight upwards for about forty or so feet before inexplicably distorting and bending towards the castle, almost as if there was an invisible force of gravity pulling on them. Even the dozen or so wyvern riders and Pegasus knights they saw flying overhead seemed to be affected, judging by their rider's panicked voices and the beasts' laborious sounding pants.

As they rode out of the castle walls, towards the temporary camp the Pegasus knights and wyvern riders had set up on a hill roughly a mile away from the castle, Azura noticed that the sky too was off. The floating islands also seemed distorted, as if that same force was pulling them towards the castle.

As their horses slowed to a halt, panting, Azura quickly dismounted and helped Corrin off the saddle. Grunting from the effort, she tried half-carrying, half-dragging him over to where Sakura and Elise had already set up a healing tent.

She deposited him on a makeshift stretcher made out of some spear shafts and pieces of cloth and watched worriedly in a nearby tent as Sakura and Elise began their healing work, ignoring their own cuts and scrapes.

Meanwhile, Ryoma dismounted as well and proceeded to tell what few soldiers currently with them to form a perimeter. He was in the middle of telling them the instructions that his voice suddenly slackened, causing Azura look back at him.

What she saw when she walked back outside also caused her voice to die inside herself.

A brilliant purple explosion erupted from Castle Gyges, sending a massive cloud of debris and dust into the air. As Azura watched, the silhouette of some sort of impossibly large beast rose out of the rubble, threw its head back, and roared.

Anankos, revitalized with the entirety of his awesome power, rose out of the rubble. Even at their distance, Azura could make out features of the dragon, which did nothing except to send a shiver of horror running down her spine. Azura had always heard that dragons could be unimaginably large, but what a dragon to hear its roar and see the malevolent glint in its hate-filled orange eyes from over a mile away!

Even Castle Gyges, a palace built in such a manner that it dwarfed even Castle Krackenburg in Nohr and Castle Shirasagi in Hoshido combined, could barely manage to obscure the main portion of Anankos' long, twisted body.

Azura slowly fell to her knees. It was just like before, when her mother had taken her on a desperate, last-minute run for freedom when Anankos attacked. She remembered seeing those horrible orange eyes, that death-mace of tail as it thrashed, knocking over one of Castle Gyges' massive watchtowers. Was everything they did, everything they sacrificed…was it all for nothing?

On the stretcher, Corrin frowned as he noticed Sakura and Elise staring horror-stricken back at the castle. "What's going—"

Azura watched with something rapidly approaching primal fear as Anankos spread his wings with a sound like a hundred black and brown sails filling with wind. When he flapped, the air shook as if from a clap of thunder, and throughout the countryside surrounding the castle, what few animals bayed and ran away.

Without thinking, Azura crouched, feeling like a mouse hiding from an eagle.

Unlike Corrin's wings, which were a brilliant sheen of metallic platinum-white, Anankos' wings looked leathery, alive, and above all else, absolutely  _terrifying_. There were missing patches and tatters of skin hanging loosely from his wings as he spread them apart, beating them ever-so-slowly.

Anankos roared again, but this time, a brilliant ball of violet light gathered around that horrible eye-head-orb-mouth-thing. Whipping his head back, he cast the fell-orb into the air.

For a split second, Azura had thought he meant to arc the attack towards them, but after watching the fell-orb rise continuously into the air, it became obvious what Anankos planned to do.

Around them, the sky turned a violent and dark shade of purple, with swathes of stars inexplicably appearing between the floating islands. Azura stumbled as she felt a great wind tear at her clothes and hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw as one of the tents the healers were working tear itself out of the ground, stakes and all, leaving the workers inside staring up at the massive dragon in horror.

As Azura watched the ball grow darker and darker, the wind grew more intense, and she saw an  _honest-to-gods_ patch of land next to them tear itself away and fly towards the orb. By now, the orb become less than an orb and more of a singularity. So strong was the wind, that even light seemed to curl and distort itself, so that the floating islands being pulled into it started to elongate and twist in impossible ways.

Corrin swore as a tool hit him in the back of his head. Crashing to the floor, he noticed that the ground underneath him was shaking. His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, and immediately after grabbing Yato, his cape, and pieces of his armor, he dove outside, out of the confines of his tent. A split second later, the ground the tent was pitched on started to tear itself away too, breaking into chucks of dirt and stone as the pieces flung themselves towards the singularity.

Corrin's jaw dropped as he looked around him. The sky had turned black and purple, and swathes of stars disappeared completely as Anankos wheeled across the sky, climbing higher and higher. Corrin tried to guess the dragon's exact shape from the outline of his shape, but the now-turned nighttime sky was too dark and distance too hard to determine, though it wasn't like it mattered anyways. Whatever Anankos' exact proportions, he was frighteningly large.

"Holy sh—"

Before Corrin could finish, he yelped and hit the deck as another cluster of debris flew over his head. He watched as the pile of rocks and dirt grew smaller and smaller the closer they got to the black hole whereupon they vanished altogether.

Corrin struggled to his feet as he stumbled towards Azura, who was still kneeling on the ground with a blank expression as she watched Anankos wheel through the sky. "Hey, you alright?" he asked, sliding on the grass next to her.

She looked at him, and something in Corrin's chest clenched at the fearful expression in her eyes. A familiar feeling, gone unfelt ever since Mikoto's death spread throughout his body as Azura clutched at his hand.

"Yeah," she said in a small, timid voice.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Look at me!" he said. "Look at me! You have to get it together!"

When she finally meet his gaze, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Azura let out a small  _eep_ , shocked at the sudden contact, but it didn't take long for her to return the action, twirling Corrin's hair at the back of his neck around her finger.

When Azura pressed her lips against his, Corrin immediately deepened the kiss, bringing her body closer to his. After a few moments, the separated, both flushed.

"Corrin…" Azura said before being forestalled by Corrin squeezing her hand.

"Sh…" he shushed, hugging her again so that her head rested on his shoulder. He patted her on the back of her head as Azura tightened her grip on him.

"It's going to be alright," he said quietly. "I'm still here. We'll win this."

"And what if we don't?" Azura asked, breaking off to look at him. "You know what Anankos wants to do. The moment he wins here, he's going to turn his attention on the rest of the world. I already saw first-hand the…the  _things_  he did to my people. I can't let that happen. Not again!"

Corrin guided her head towards his shoulder again as they held each other in their arms. "I won't allow it," he said simply.

Azura's arms fell limply to her knees as Corrin stood up. She watched as Corrin finished strapping his signature blue cape to his armor, put on the few pieces of armor Sakura and Elise had removed during their healing, and unsheathed Yato.

"I won't allow it!" he said again, this time more passionately. He clenched his fist. "We've been through— _you've_  been through too much for us to simply fail here."

Looking down at her, Corrin said, "I don't care if you're my cousin, my friend, or even my ally. I'm going to put Anankos down today because I  _love_  you. Let history write that how they want it."

"C-Corrin…" Azura felt tears of relief spring to her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands. "I—"

"But I can't do it alone," Corrin interrupted somberly. "I want you up there with me. I  _need_  you up there with me. Will…will you give me the pleasure to face your greatest demon, the world's greatest threat, together? With me?"

Azura felt something close to a smile break out on her face as she accepted Corrin's outstretched hand. "I'd like nothing more," she said.

Wiping her tears away on the back of her hand, Azura blushed as she became aware of the relatively large crowd gathered around them. "S-sorry," she apologized. "I-I didn't mean to break down there so quickly."

Corrin smiled at her, and for a split second, Azura genuinely believed everything was fine. She even managed to drone out the rhythmic  _thud_  of Anankos' wings beating above them.

"Don't worry about it," he said kindly. "Everyone's got a breaking point."

Leaning in closer to her so he could whisper in her ear, Corrin muttered, "After this, find me. We still need to talk. About…about us."

Azura paused for a second before nodding. Corrin smiled and nodded as well.

"Well…said," said Ryoma's voice.

The two turned to see Ryoma walking toward them. Ducking under a tree branch, he knelt in front of them.

"Sorry for kneeling," Ryoma apologized. "It's just—you know—things are flying everywhere and I'm tall so—"

"It's fine," Azura said, her stoic mask reasserting itself over her face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your little get-together," Ryoma said, "but we need you.  _Both_  of you." He looked between the half-dragon and songstress. "Our men are panicking. Already a dozen wyvern riders and Pegasus knights have deserted, though I doubt they'll get far. We need you two to give them hope, to motivate them to fight one last time."

"Why can't you do it?" Corrin asked. "Not that I don't want, but aren't you and Xander the leader of Hoshido's and Nohr's armies here today? Wouldn't they listen to you better?"

"Perhaps," Ryoma mused, "But then again, we're not the ones who tried to take on a dragon god by themselves."

Corrin winced as Azura pulled on one of his pointed ears. "Didn't I tell you that was the one thing not to do?" she hissed.

"Agh! I know, I know, but you know I'm the only one who could actually hurt Anankos!" he said, grimacing.

Sighing, Azura let him go. "I know," she said dejectedly. "Which means you'll have to face him alone again."

Rubbing his ear, Corrin quickly said, "But I won't be alone though! I'll have you, Ryoma Xander—I'll have all of you helping me this time. All you need to do is—"

"Maybe we should wait until you're up there, in front of the crowd, before you go about telling us your master plan. I'm sure it's probably long and convoluted, so it'll be better to say it once and not waste any more time."

"But—"

"Come on you," Azura said, pulling him towards the mass of soldiers gathered at the top of the hill.

Corrin only tried to escape twice before he found himself standing in the back of an empty wagon, looking out over a field of upturned faces—some afraid, and some not. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking, and even then he felt apprehensive.

On their way there, Corrin asked Ryoma for advice and Ryoma simply told him, "Remember, they're not your enemy. You have nothing to fear from them. They  _want_  to like you. Speak clearly, speak honestly, and whatever you do, keep your doubts to youself. That's the best and easiest way to win them over. They're going to be afraid of Anankos naturally, but so long you give the, the reassurance they need, they'll follow your orders without question."

Despite Ryoma's encouragement, Corrin still felt apprehensive about his makeshift speech. It wasn't that he was nervous about standing and giving a speech in front of people, but it was rather the situation. If he said the wrong thing, the effects could be infinitely more disastrous.

Despite that, he soon found himself standing before the six hundred or so remaining soldiers. All of them were grim-faced, and all of their equipment were damaged or bloodied in some way. Either way, Corrin knew very few of them would survive, but doing as Ryoma said and keeping his doubts to himself, he began.

"Anankos needs to be stopped," Corrin said simply. "He needs to be stopped, and in order to do that, I…I need all of you to follow my instructions to the letter. I need all of you to form a defensive formation around me while I engage Anankos. He's going to be the one coming to us, so as long as we don't overextend ourselves, victory is all but assured!" He pumped his fist into the air.

Silence. Silence so groundbreaking that it even felt as if Anankos had stopped his antics just to listen to them.

Corrin nervously lowered his hand. This could not be going any more poorly. "Look, I'm sure you've all seen—and heard—that dragon flying around us. Ignore it for a second. Look at me. Who do you see before you? You probably see me, a Nohrian prince born in Hoshido. I don't care if you love me or if you hate me. What matters right now is that…this is it. This is the edge of the cliff, the no man's land, the End of All. This is our final stand. Whatever happens today…happens. If we fail, Anankos will take over out bodies and use them as the initial wave in an assault on the rest of the world that will end in the total and utter extinction of life as we know it. This—in my opinion—is bad. Not just because it would lead to the death of all that you hold dear, but because I'm sure everyone one of you have suffered because of Anankos' actions. Well, today is the day where we strike back against out gods! Today is the day where stand together—not as Hoshidans or Nohrians, or even Vallites. Today we stand together as brothers, sisters! Today we stand together as humanity! Some of you might be thinking, 'Well, this dragon god flying around the castle looks really big and hard to kill.' Don't give up! It doesn't matter how large or impressive Anankos looks, we can win so long as we stand shoulder to shoulder and face him together! Don't stop believing in yourselves! I know we've all lost someone today, and that of the original ten thousand of you, only a few hundred remain, but don't give up! We've come too far to give up, and I absolutely refuse to back down! This is our destiny, to overthrow a cruel and unjust future. Today is the day that we make our own fate! Ready your weapons and prepare for battle! Fight for your friends! With the Fire Emblem on our side…we fight for our world!"

Corrin flinched and almost fell off the wagon as the crowd roared with approval. Somewhat relieved, Corrin jumped down from the back of the wagon to where Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of the royals were waiting. All of them looked pleased at his speech, and Elise immediately ran over and gave him a hug.

"Not bad," Leo said, giving him a mock slaw clap. "Not bad at all…"

"I agree. That was…quite eloquent," Ryoma said. "I see you took my advice."

Corrin rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what I just said. I just sort of remembered what Azura and I talked about before Ryoma dragged me over."

Camilla smothered him in a bear hug. "Oh, you did so well!" she cooed. "Come here, you!"

"Enough, Camilla!" Takumi said moodily. "It still doesn't change the fact that we're still up against a dragon that can  _literally create black holes out of thin fucking air._ "

Instantly, the mood became more somber as everyone looked down at their feet.

"So…I guess we're all going to die today?" Elise asked, not knowing how much her question hurt.

Xander chuckled. "Never thought I'd spend my last day here on Earth next to the crown prince of Hoshido, making fun of my younger step-brother's speech."

"Same," Ryoma said. "Fate is strange, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Corrin said, looking around at the group.

"Huh?" Takumi asked. "What do you mean?"

"I feel that, in some odd, unforeseen way, this was meant to happen. I don't know why, but I have a pretty good feeling about this. I don't know if all of us will make it through, but I can feel that no matter what happens, Anankos won't succeed."

"How do you know that?" Azura asked.

Corrin shrugged. "It's like this feeling. The closest thing I can describe it as is seeing a woman singing next to a lake and instantly falling in love with her. It's sort of like that, but without, you know, the lake, the love, and the woman."

Leo rolled his eyes as Azura blushed. "So it's just a feeling," he said. "Perfect."

Whatever else they were going to talk about was interrupted as Anankos suddenly landed at the base of the hill, silencing the men underneath him when he landed. As for those who were fortunate enough to be stationed at the camp, they formed themselves up around Corrin and the royals. The rest of the army soon did the same, and soon, they were little more than an island of black and red amidst an ocean of purple, for Anankos had raised his army of the dead once again. This time, they would succeed, one way or another.

" _HAHAHAHA…"_  Anankos laughed. " _SO THIS IS HUMANITY'S FINAL STAND. HOW PITIFUL. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEFEAT ME NOW THAT I'M BACK IN MY PURE FORM?"_

Corrin looked around at the army, at his siblings, his retainers, his friends, his allies. He looked up at the sky, which was now completely black save for a few splotches of stars. He looked at the black hole drawing in the trees, lakes, and floating islands. He looked at Anankos, at the orb clenched between massive, eyeless jaws. He looked into those orange hateful eyes, but most importantly, he looked at Azura, and she looked back at him.

She gave him an ever-so-small nod, and that was all he needed.

"The answer's simple," Corrin said, gesturing towards his family and the army around him. "It's not a question of how we're going to defeat you. We  _will_  defeat you."

He twirled Yato around him before finally settling in into a defensive position, his feet spread apart and both hands on Yato's hilt as he glared up at Anankos. Behind him, his siblings all unsheathed their respective weapons and readied their weapons as they assembled themselves behind Corrin.

"We'll defeat you and put an end to this endless night you've created," Azura said, adding her voice to Corrin's. "Together, right Corrin?"

Corrin nodded. "Together."


End file.
